Transport minister Leo Varadkar has unveiled plans to prevent cowboy clampers from taking advantage of motorists.
He has outlined new measures to regulate aggressive clamping on private property, which up until now had been out of the Government’s control.
The TD’s proposed legislation will mean private companies will have to obtain a licence before they can clamp vehicles that park on their land.
“We want to bring in a new system which protects motorists from exploitation, and benefits legitimate operators, but which still penalises bad parking behaviour,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said that while the law currently allows local authorities to clamp vehicles in public places, the current system of clamping on private property is under-regulated.
This has led to motorists complaining they have been treated unfairly by rogue operators clamping their car unlawfully and imposing extortionate release fees.
Mr Varadkar said: “Members of the public have expressed serious concerns about the activity of some private clampers. In particular, allegations have been made of clampers behaving in a less than fair manner, yet there is no appeals mechanism against these perceived abuses.”
He said the aim was to strike a balance between ensuring motorists are treated fairly and deterring them from parking illegally.
“Fair clamping does prevent nuisance parking on public roads or on private property, particularly at apartment blocks and shopping centres,” he explained.
The minister will present the proposed regulations to the Oireachtas Transport Committee this month, which will then consult with clamping operators, local authorities and the public before a Bill is officially passed.
The Irish Parking Association (IPA) has welcomed Mr Varadkar’s announcement.
IPA secretary Keith Gavin said: “We think it’s long overdue to have some regulation in the area and it’s something we’ve been saying for some time.
“Thankfully, we haven’t had a problem of cowboy operators here, unlike in the UK for example.
“But these new proposals will prevent it from becoming a problem.”
Mr Gavin said the committee’s main focus should be to ensure companies implement clear and adequate signage informing motorists that a clamping system is in place, and to ensure that reasonable release fees are imposed.
He said: “Release fees have got to be taken into context of the severity of the offence but they have to be sufficiently high to offer a deterrent to motorists.
“The idea in clamping is it should be used to deter illegal parking, not to cash in.”
PA