Almost €900k collected in town parking revenue
LOUTH County Council collected almost €900,000 in parking revenue and fines over the three year period from 2011 to 2013, it has been revealed.
According to figures from the council, €307,438 was collected during 2011, €314,593 was taken in during 2012 and €270,227 was received in 2013.
A spokesperson for the council said the figures for 2014 to 2016 were not separately available after the unification with Louth County Council (LCC).
They were responding to a query from Councillor Frank Godfrey who asked what was the total number of parking tickets issued in Drogheda from 2011 to 2016, what the total amount of revenue was taken for the same period, if parking charges could be reduced from €1.20 an hour to €1 an hour and if King Street could be made a free car park to compensate for the number of free car parking spaces lost in the town.
The council spokesperson said the number of fines issued were not currently available due to the upgrading of the fines system. They said this would be supplied as soon as possible.
The spokesperson said unpaid parking fines are pursued trhough the District Court and unpaid fines then become the responsibility of the District Court.
‘ The District Court pay us the legal costs awarded once the fine is paid.
We would not have access to the percentage non-payment of these parking tickets with the District Court.’
They said any reduction in pay parking fees would require a review of the whole pay parking scheme with a need for any loss or addition in revenue to be deducted/added to the municipal allowance.
The council currently have no plans to offer further free parking in the town, the spokesCar person added.