Car free day will cost €2m, warn businesses

BUSINESSES have reacted angrily to proposals to block cars coming into the city centre for three consecutive days later this month, claiming it could cost them €2 million in lost sales.

Cork Business Association’s (CBA) newly appointed chief executive, Donal Healy, said that proposals to hold European Car Free Day over three days this year — from September 22 to 24 — was “a step too far” and his 200-plus members would suffer.

Over the past couple of years the event has been held for just one day a year and is aimed at showing people they can access cities throughout the continent without using their cars.

Letters from a sample of traders opposing the plan have already been sent to Cork City Council, asking them to abandon the idea.

Eddie Mullins, who runs Fitzgerald’s Menswear on St Patrick’s Street, said it was hard enough for city-centre traders to compete with out of town shopping centres — which have free parking — without putting up with three days where shoppers will be even further discouraged from entering Cork.

“My turnover has dropped [on European Car Free Day] before and I’ve no doubt it will fall again, but to have it for three days this time, well that’s outrageous,” Mr Mullins said.

Gerard Keane, of Keane’s Jewellers in Oliver Plunkett Street, said he’d also noticed a drop in trade on European Car Free Days.

“Three days in a row is totally over the top. The fear in some people’s minds is that it is just too much hassle to come into the city. Anyway, a lot of the city centre is pedestrianised now,” Mr Keane said.

“The CBA is calling for an indefinite postponement of the event, especially when it comes at a time when traders are suffering to meet extra energy costs, rising on a monthly basis, and with inflation currently running at 4.5%. Enough is enough and we demand our members’ concerns are listened to,” Mr Healy said.

“While it is appreciated that Cork City Council has created a beautifully attractive streetscape, we believe proper park-and-ride facilities have not been provided to cater for people coming to town, and the message is for many people ‘avoid town altogether’. This has been proven in the past with trading down,” he added.

The CBA chief executive added that the proposal’s timing came on top of issues which still have to be resolved, including the transition of pedestrianisation in Oliver Plunkett Street, clamping, deliveries etc.