PAY PARKING ROW ERUPTS
Parkview residents fined for first time ever
RESIDENTS of a secluded part of Drogheda woke to a surprise last week – parking tickets.
And some didn’t even know they were in a pay parking area!
Last Thursday morning, nine tickets were placed on cars parked at Parkview, in the vicinity of the entrance to the Boyne Rovers clubhouse.
The only indication that it is a council approved pay parking area is a pole with a four hour limit on it – partially pointing in the wrong direction.
The area does not even have a parking meter and there are no marked spaces for anyone to park.
It seems much of the confusion arose after the charge for the residential parking permit was abolished in Drogheda, in line with Dundalk.
But residents say they contacted the local council to ask about the permits and say they were told they didn’t need any now.
Then, when they got the tickets last week, they were put through to an office in Dundalk and were told they did need one.
Mayor Frank Godfrey said that a warning letter should have been placed on cars initially, if enforcement was starting in the area.
Nobody could recall the last time they received tickets for parking outside their home.
RESIDENTS of a secluded part of Drogheda woke to a surprise last week - parking tickets.
And some didn’t even know they were in a pay parking area!
Last Thursday morning, nine tickets were placed on cars parked at Parkview, in the vicinity of the entrance to the Boyne Rovers clubhouse.
The only indication that it is a council approved pay parking area is a pole with a four hour limit on it - partially pointing in the wrong direction.
The area does not have a parking meter with the closest in John Paul Court.
No specific spaces - as required under the 1997 Road Traffic ( Signs) Regulations - are marked out.
Total confusion greeted the fines, each amounting to €40, with one family having to pay €120.
Some residents used to have parking permits but when Cllr Kevin Callan questioned the €12 per year charge - to align it with Dundalk - it was then scrapped.
Resident, Janette Kermath, who got a ticket, said that when the permit issue arose she went into the council offices and was told she didn’t need a permit anymore.
A second resident got the same reply, but when they were put through to Dundalk in relation to the ticket, were told they did need one.
‘ There have never been any tickets issued here,’ Sheila Quigley stated. Some family members didn’t even know it was pay parking.
‘ The vast majority of people who park here are residents,’ Janette added.
Mayor Frank Godfrey said the residents were very upset by the sudden action of the traffic warden.
‘ The fact that tickets haven’t been issued here before, at least a warning note should have been placed on the cars and that would have shown some respect for the people living here.
‘ There is great confusion over this and it does the council no favours with people,’ he stated.