City manager to investigate clampers
Joe Gavin said he was concerned about the allegations and would take a serious view if they were found to be true.
He now plans to examine the records held by Control Plus, the company contracted to implement the city’s parking policy. Action would be taken, he warned, if it emerged contractors were targeting certain vehicles.
He was responding to claims from Labour Councillor Mick O’Connell that clampers are deliberately targeting vehicles that do not have a Cork registration.
The councillor cited three examples he had been made aware of over the last three weeks.
In one instance, Mr O’Connell said he saw two cars — one with a Cork registration and one with a Dublin registration — parked in a loading bay outside a building on the South Mall. The Dublin car was towed within minutes, he said. However, when he went back to the scene an hour later, he found the Cork car had been left there.
In another incident, a Cork registered car and another with a Waterford registration were both parked illegally. But Mr O’Connell said it was the Waterford car that was towed first.
And in the third incident on the South Terrace, Mr O’Connell said he spotted two jeeps parked illegally on a footpath. The Dublin registered jeep was towed but three hours later, the Cork registered jeep was still there, he said.
“This is happening at a time when we are trying to encourage people to visit the city,” he said. “We should be saying ‘come to Cork but take the train because your car will be towed’.” Fine Gael’s Cllr Denis Cregan said he had also been made aware that out-of-town vehicles were being targeted first. “This is happening,” he said.
Mr Gavin meanwhile, said the contractors are instructed to implement the city’s parking policy fairly and equitably. “I would take a serious view if there was selective targeting,” he said.
