'The cars have not moved' - Gardai take action over illegal parking at busy Limerick road

CONCERNS have been raised that a busy road in Limerick is ‘basically a one-way lane at the moment’ due to vehicles, associated with a local business, being parked despite the presence of double yellow lines.

Fianna Fail councillor Fergus Kilcoyne highlighted the ongoing issue at a meeting of the council's Travel and Transportation Strategic, during a discussion regarding the enforcement of regulations governing pedestrian zones.

Cllr Kilcoyne raised the issue with Inspector Padraig Sutton, who attended the meeting online, saying he is receiving calls from residents about a business, located just off the Dock Road.

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He said the complaints relate to the parking of cars along the road "day and night".

Cllr Kilcoyne did not name the business in question and no representatives from businesses in the area were present at the meeting.

He said double yellow lines along the road have recently been repainted, but that “some have not been painted because the cars have not moved” for so long, adding the road is “basically a one-way lane at the moment” due to the ongoing issue.

Inspector Sutton replied that An Garda Síochána is aware of an ongoing issue in the area regarding breaches of parking regulations.

He explained that in “areas of persistent issues” such as this, gardaí have discretion over the fines they can issue and can move to a higher penalty.

In the specific area, for example, he said parking on a double yellow line carries a €40 fine, while parking on a footpath carries a higher fine of €80.