Fine Gael against proposed parking charges increase

Cavan Town Council has come under attack over proposed increases to off and on-street car parking charges in Cavan town. The local authority wishes to clarify that while a review of existing parking bye-laws is in progress, no decision has been made regarding parking charges. At the May meeting of the council it was suggested that the fees for on-street parking should increase from 60 cent to €1 per hour and off-street parking from 40 cent to 80 cent per hour. There was also a suggestion that a new 20 cent for 20 minutes be introduced as well. It was also suggested that annual parking permits for residents would increase from €20 per annum to €50. The parking zones are also being reviewed with areas such as River Street, Cathedral Road, Fairhill and St. Aiden's Terrace being earmarked for paid parking to combat people parking there all day to the annoyance of residents. However, although the review is underway, the council stresses that parking fees still remain at 40 cent for off-street and 60 cent for on-street parking. A spokesperson for the council said: "Changes to any aspect of the parking bye laws will only be made after public consultation has taken place." Revenue for parking generates an estimated €750,000 for the town council annually. The Mayor of Cavan, Cllr. Andrew Boylan, said Fine Gael would be totally opposed to any increase in parking charges. "We are trying to attract people into the town and not turn them away." The 20 cent for 20 minutes would be hard to police and Cllr. Boylan felt it was an non-runner. "We will have to get people to use the multi-storey car park a lot more. There is tremendous value with motorists being charged just €2 for a whole day." There are not enough local people using it, he added. The Fine Gael member stated that it was proposed to have a sign on the Dublin Road indicating how many spaces are available in the multi-storey and arrows directing motorists to it. Draft parking bye-laws are due to be presented to members of Cavan Town Council at their June monthly meeting. These draft bye-laws will be approved, or amended, by councillors before being put out for public consultation.