SHOPPERS IN Killarney were treated to free parking in the Kerry town’s main car parks yesterday, after thieves made off overnight with the coin boxes in the pay-and-display parking machines.
Gardaí suspect drills and other equipment were used to extract the covered coin boxes from the nine parking machines across three large town centre car parks in what was an organised operation, leaving few clues.
It is not yet known how much money – mainly euro coins – has gone missing.
The boxes are emptied every second day and were due to be emptied yesterday, it is understood.
Parking fees are a lucrative money earner for the town council in Killarney, with hundreds of thousands of tourists annually contributing to the car park coffers.
Last year the town earned almost €1.5 million from parking fees and fines. Business people, however, have been campaigning for free parking to lure shoppers back from out-of-town shopping parks where there are no charges.
The machines could not be put back into operation yesterday. However a council spokesperson said no fines would be issued for the affected areas yesterday. It expects they will be operating today. Sgt Tom Tobin of Killarney Garda station said they were appealing to anyone with information to help solve the crime.
Anybody who saw suspicious activity around the machines at Beech Road, Lewis Road and High Street between the hours of 2am and 5am on Thursday is asked to contact Killarney Garda station on 064-6631222.