Revenue worries put the brakes on cheaper parking

A PLAN to cut charges for parking on Dublin city centre streets during peak shopping times is under threat following claims that it would cost Dublin City Council €1 million a year.

The council decided last August to review the cost of on-street parking on Thursday evenings and all day Saturday after lobbying from businesses in the city, who said the high parking costs were deterring shoppers.

In September the traffic department put a proposal to councillors for new bylaws to reduce charges during these periods by 90 cent to €2 per hour in the most expensive central business district or “yellow zone” and by 40 cent to €2 in the “red zone”, just outside the streets of heaviest parking demand.

Councillors approved releasing the proposed bylaws for public consultation, a necessary step in the enactment of any new bylaw. Public consultation ended last November and only one negative submission – from the Dublin Cycling Campaign – was received.

However, in a report to be put to councillors on Thursday, executive manager of the council’s traffic department Tim O’Sullivan is asking councillors not to approve the reduction in tariffs. Mr O’Sullivan said the council had conducted a survey of the parking space occupancy on the streets of the central business area and found 87 per cent occupancy on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 9pm and a 83 per cent occupancy on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.

“These rates are very high and effectively represent maximum occupancy. In the circumstances, the objective of attracting more shoppers into the city centre, which was the intent of this proposal, could not be met by reducing parking tariffs as suggested,” he said.

Mr O’Sullivan also cited the loss of parking revenue. “In addition, a significant cost to the council, estimated to be in the order of €1,000,000 per annum, would be incurred. Accordingly, it is not recommended that this proposal be adopted.”

If councillors back off cutting parking charges the decision is likely to be met with considerable resentment from city businesses who feel they are already suffering through traffic control measures such as the “bus gate” which restricts private car movements in the city centre.

In her submission on the bylaws chief executive of Dublin Chamber of Commerce Gina Quinn had called for a parking charge of €1 or less on Thursday evenings and the weekend.

The rising price of on-street parking had made the city centre less attractive for those visiting the city for tourist, leisure and particularly retail activities by car, she said.

A marked reduction in parking charges was required to combat the “negative publicity” surrounding access to the city centre and the decline in business revenues.