Clamping regime is killing the commercial heart of city
This system is a typical example of “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut”. Apparently it stems back to early last year when the Auditor General, in his wisdom, decided that if it is good enough for Dublin, it will work in other cities and could help recoup some of the £6m (7.6m) in unpaid parking fines the State has somehow failed to follow up.
In zealously implementing this, Cork City Council shows total disregard to the importance of attracting new enterprise to the city. Along with traffic nightmares such as the Cork Main Drainage project, their severe parking regime is decimating our commercial environment. James O’Sullivan of Cork Business Association is 100% correct in saying James O’Sullivan of Cork Business Association is 100% correct in saying Instead of the quick clamp and automatic car confiscation scheme, the council should employ more wardens and deploy more traffic gardaí for a more discretionary and flexible service.
They should also keep a record of repeat offenders and punish them with the clamp and tow away system.
They should use a “first 30 minutes free” system and small on-the-spot fine for first offenders.
Above all, they should use human discretion to distinguish between tourists, visitors and short stay drivers and ensure all parking fines are efficiently collected so they don’t have to take cars away to guarantee income.
If a city is to be viable it has to maintain a commercial focal point, not be fragmented into different business divisions miles apart.
It is no secret that parking facilities in the city centre are anything but adequate. But penalising the driving public is nothing but heavy handed and counter-productive.
It would be much more constructive and worthwhile for Cork city if the gurus at the City Hall concentrated more on attracting people into the centre of town rather than placing as many obstacles as they can in the way of raw trade and essential economics.
Kevin Jordan,
9, Prospect Farm,
Windmill Hill,
Youghal,
Co Cork
