COLUMN: It's time to talk about the proposed changes to Westport parking charges
Liamy MacNally feels it is workers in the town centre who will bare the brunt of the proposals
Mayo County Council is inviting submissions on proposed parking charges in Westport. It raises questions: Who actually came up with the price plan? How did they arrive at the proposed increases? Why propose increases without prior consultation? Will council staff take public submissions seriously or is it a box-ticking ‘consult the public’ exercise?
The parking increases will mostly affect workers. Already reeling from fuel increases, workers are now asked to absorb huge parking charge increases. It is simply not fair. Why not leave workers parking permits at the same price? It’s not rocket science!
At one time pedestrian crossings couldn’t be installed on the N5. That changed when funds became available for greenway ‘crossings’ and the like. Rates reductions were impossible yet they became possible with Covid. All problems have solutions. They just need common sense and the will to resolve them.
Recent information disclosed to councillors stated that more than €2.25million was raised in Mayo through parking charges and fines in 2025. After costs, the council was left with €1.125million. Strangely, revenue in the two major towns, Ballina and Castlebar, was lower than figures from Town Council days (disbanded in 2014). In Westport, income rose from €150,000 in Town Council days to €537,000!
In 2025, Ballina’s total income was €684,204 (as against €800k+ years ago); Castlebar's was €765,000 (previously €1million+); Westport €537,000. These figures include parking fines – Ballina almost €60,000; Castlebar €29,000; Westport €91,000 – read that again! Westport took in more in fines than Castlebar and Ballina combined. Why penalise Westport people now with increased charges? No increases are proposed for Castlebar or Ballina. Is there an anti-Westport bias in some council quarters?
Promises to ring-fence increased parking fees for work in Westport mean little. After the demise of the Town Councils we were told that standards would not deteriorate yet everyone knows that Westport has suffered badly since then. There isn’t a footpath in the town that doesn’t require remedial work. Look at the shambles at the Demesne Gate – tarmac vying with concrete and paving slabs, and all on different levels.
Note how Mayo County Council has effectively abandoned the Mall River, which is being cleaned weekly by a group of volunteers. Does anyone from Mayo County Council ever carry out a ‘snag list’ on Westport’s public areas?
Parking charges in Westport cannot be examined in isolation. Traffic flow is an issue. Why not create multi-storey car parks? Why not open up loading bays to cars after 1pm every day? Taxis and cabs need to be discussed. They have no alternative but to double park on Bridge Street. Camper vans and buses need proper spaces. When that’s done, update the bye-laws and install height barriers in car parks.
On traffic flow, why not reroute all incoming Castlebar Street traffic up the Distillery Road? At present, all town centre traffic is brought to a stop at the Distillery Road junction, often leading to huge tailbacks. Remove the Distillery Road lights and direct all incoming traffic up Distillery Road. It could disperse in three directions at the Fairgreen roundabout. Castlebar Street could be made one-way, outbound from the Mall, allowing traffic to continue straight out the Castlebar Road or turn right on to Distillery Road. Could Castlebar Street take more bus parking?
The Distillery Road route would reduce the direct traffic feeding Bridge Street, freeing up the town centre street to a large degree. Bridge Street delivery trucks could use the North Mall from the Fairgreen and over the middle bridge, without having to yield, as Castlebar Street would be one-way. Traffic would be always moving. Shop Street and James Stet deliveries could go from the Fairgreen across Mill Street.
Back to charges – the affected people are, as always, the low hanging fruit, workers and employers of Westport, who have already suffered huge rate increases. Price increases will drive customers to Castlebar and away from the town centre. The proposed charges are one-dimensional. Westport is a three-dimensional town.
Price increases alone never resolve a problem; they just create hardship. We need to see more of a partnership open discussion in action. The fait accompli days are over. Please reader, make a submission before September 29.