Crackdown on parking along Markievicz Road
SLIGO County Council and the Business Improvement District (BID) are appealing to the public not to park in the specially designated coach parking on Markievicz Road.
It’s after several cars, trucks and vans were found to be parked illegally there recently. Markievicz Road was upgraded this year as a coach drop off/collection point for coach operators and tourists.
It’s bringing in much-needed tourists and the spin-off economic boost to the town. Now it appears however, that is being put in jeopardy by motorists pulling in where they shouldn’t be.
In a statement to The Sligo Champion, a spokesperson for Sligo County Council said: “Unfortunately the continuous and ongoing disregard for the new coach dropoff/collection facility at Markievicz Road has the potential to undo all the positive results achieved to date.
“In recent weeks, the Council has received numerous calls from coach operators frustrated that they were at times behind schedule due to their inability to access the designated coach facilities on Markievicz Road. We are also informed that coach drivers have on occasion continued on their journey rather than stop on Markievicz Road as the facilities were entirely taken up with cars, delivery vans and mini buses,” they said.
In response to this ongoing abuse, Sligo County Council with the support of the business community is initiating a zero tolerance policy on illegal parking in the coach drop-off/collection area. The spaces will be actively monitored by Sligo’s traffic wardens. Cars, delivery vans, mini-buses and any other vehicles found to misuse the coach facilities will be ticketed and fined.
BID CEO Gail McGibbon and Sligo Gardaí also appealed to the public not to park there.
Sligo recently won two awards (from the Coach Tourism Transport Council of Ireland and the Association of Town and City Management UK and Ireland), for the improved coach services in the town.
Within a 750m walk of the Lady Erin monument on Market Cross, there are over 4,000 car parking spaces. “Sligo has enough car parking spaces – we just have bad car parking habits,” said the Council spokesperson.
Our town centre has expanded over the years and the car parks that circle the town