Rethink needed on Sunday parking charges, says councillor

Free parking on Sundays in pay-and-display areas of the city comes to an end this weekend with warnings being issued that the move could impact seriously on the local retail trade.

Last November at their Budget 2017 meeting, councillors in the ruling pact voted to introduce the Sunday parking charges in an effort to raise money for the provision of services in the city. However, this week, one councillor has now hit out strongly at the Sunday charges.

Cllr. Ollie Crowe (right) told the Galway City Tribune that he was now strongly in favour of reversing the new Sunday charging regime as it would put the city at a distinct disadvantage in terms of competing with other shopping areas for customers.

“This is sending out the completely wrong message for the city and its retailers. We need to be attracting more shoppers into the city on a Sunday and not discouraging them from coming in.

“For example, a customer on a pay-and-display limit of two hours for parking, will not be inclined to hang around for that extra hour or two and maybe have a meal or visit another shop or two.

“Maybe it’s time for ourselves as councillors to admit that we made a mistake with this decision and now to do the sensible thing and reverse it,” said Cllr. Crowe.

He said that he had supported a pilot scheme early last year where there was stricter enforcement of the law in relation to illegal parking on Sundays, something, he added, that would bring in just as much revenue as Sunday charges.

Maeve Joyce, General Manager of Galway Chamber of Commerce told the Galway City Tribune that the Chamber had concerns over the Sunday parking charges and added that any extra revenues raised needed to be ‘given back’ to the retail sector.
For the rest of this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. Buy a digital edition of this week’s paper here, or download the app for Android or iPhone.