Parking fine system unfair, clams council

A LOCAL authority with one of the country’s toughest car-clamping regimes has criticised the Government’s new parking fines system.

Members of Cork city council said the system, which has abolished on-the-spot parking tickets, prevents motorists from immediately challenging parking fines.

The council plans to write to Transport Minister Martin Cullen calling for a review of the procedure.

Traffic wardens used to slap parking tickets onto the windows of illegally-parked vehicles.

But the on-the-spot parking ticket system was abolished on April 3 as part of the Government’s extension of the penalty points system. Fixed charge notices are now issued monthly with the 28-day period for payment staring from that date of issue.

Green Party’s spokesperson on urban development Cllr Chris O’Leary, said that it leaves motorists ‘guilty until proven innocent’.

“The new method of issuing fines for parking and traffic violations will cause uproar among many unsuspecting members of the public,” he said.

“Many drivers are going to receive postal fines based on parking violations that they have no way of refuting at the time of the offence. This is unacceptable. Drivers that are fined for their parking methods should have the right to refute the allegations there and then.”

Labour’s Cllr Denis O’Flynn said the new system was a sneaky way of doing business.

Fine Gael’s Jerry Buttimer described it as “Big Brother going berserk”. “Nobody condones illegal parking but this system doesn’t give motorists a chance to argue their case,” he said.

Fianna Fáil’s Terry Shannon said people should have no sympathy for those who park illegally.

“But there is a question of natural justice. I do accept that tickets should go on the cars,” he said.

Meanwhile, city manager Joe Gavin has said he is not against the idea of traffic wardens using digital cameras to take photos of illegally parked vehicles.

He said wardens were already using hi-tech hand-held units to record illegal parking and there was no reason why other hi-tech methods shouldn’t be used.