Dublin drivers may face wheel clamps next year

Dublin motorists face having their car wheels clamped for illegal parking under a new regime which will also eliminate free on-street parking and replace meters with new payment systems.

The city manager, Mr John Fitz gerald, announced yesterday that the corporation has sought EU-wide tenders for "the procurement of vehicle wheel-clamping and towaway services" with a view to making them operational early next year.

"The corporation is also proceeding with the replacement of parking meters in the inner city by a combination of `pay-and-display' machines and multi-bay parking meters," he told the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Transport in Dublin Castle.

"The installation of the new parking control technology will facilitate the elimination of all free on-street car parking in the inner city in accordance with city council policy, together with the implementation of higher parking charges," Mr Fitzgerald said.

Consultants are also preparing a new parking strategy for the city, aimed at providing adequate short-term parking to meet business, leisure, residential and shopping demand, while limiting the availability of all-day parking for commuters.

As part of their brief, the consultants are compiling a detailed inventory of current parking supply in the city and analysing arrangements for its control and management, with a view to the city council adopting new regulations and pricing policies under the new strategy.

The city manager said this was in line with the Dublin Transportation Initiative strategy, which recommended the licensing of all off-street car parks, the control of unauthorised car parks, and the structuring of charges to deter long-stay parking by commuters.

Though the corporation rem ained committed to "full implementation" of the DTI strategy, he said, progress was disappointingly slow. In the meantime, the traffic problem had been exacerbated by a bouyant economy, fuelling more demand for finite road space.

Mr Fitzgerald said implementation of the DTI strategy was slow because of the need for extensive consultation, detailed legal req uire ments, indecision on local issues and the outstripping of original forecasts by economic growth.

"The balance of advantage has, over the last decade or so, swung in the direction of those who oppose major public sector infra struct ural projects at the expense of the greater public good," he said, adding that many were "professional objectors" making "frivolous" cases.

"Having said this, it must be accepted that implementation of the strategy cannot ride roughshod over those who might be adversely affected. The Port Tunnel project, following extensive public display and consultation, is now a better project than that first presented."

Referring to the 11 "Quality Bus Corridors" which are also part of the DTI strategy, Mr Fitzgerald said the rights, fears and aspirations of those who live and trade along the designated routes must be reconciled with the need for speedy transport to and from the city centre.

The corporation would be making its own submission to the consultants appointed by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, to examine an underground option for the £220 million Luas light rail system, stressing the need to "get on with it".

Ms Patricia McKenna, the Green Party MEP for Dublin, said Luas was supposed to be central to the DTI's strategy of transforming the city centre into a more pleasant place, but it was now "under threat" and there was also a danger of losing EU funding for the project.

Ms McKenna said she had "great sympathy" for people who invested their time and energy trying to protect the environment from ill-considered road projects, such as the plan for a dual-carriageway through the Glen o' the Downs to save 40 seconds of travel time.