Dublin Corporation has announced several measures designed to improve its control of city parking offences. Speaking yesterday to the monthly meeting of the city council's Traffic Committee, corporation official Mr Tim O'Sullivan said the new plan had four basic ingredients:
To extend the hours of disc parking in certain selected areas, especially to deal with problems of parking at night.
The maximum period of parking on public spaces on streets will be increased to four hours.
Alterations will be made to the pay/display system to permit vehicle owners/drivers to pay for smaller periods of parking, such as 15 minutes (at present the minimum period is two hours).
To permit businesses to buy permits for parking outside or adjacent to their places of work to allow them to keep guaranteed places for parking each day.
The Corporation's Office of Traffic has also produced a report on Parking Enforcement in which it is proposed to commence a wheel-clamping service in the city from next month. The contractors - Central Parking System (Irl.) Ltd. - have been appointed. Spotter personnel will identify vehicles for clamping between 7 a.m. and 23.59 p.m.
There will be initially two vehicles in support of the spotters, increasing to four in September. The operation to remove offending vehicles will begin in that month.
Offending motorists who are caught will be able to pay their fines and other costs via credit cards over the phone at a city centre "parking shop".