Clamped for 2nd time in 6 days

[drykin3]

I was in Portmarnock station today at lunchtime while a car in the same spot was being clamped. This is the fourth day in a row that a car in this spot has been clamped. I stopped and asked the clamper why the car was being clamped. He first said it was because the car had driven over the yellow box. I pointed out that cars were allowed to drive over yellow boxes, they just weren't allowed to stop in them. He then pointed to the ESB "Keep Out" signs and said that they meant that car couldn't park there. I explained that the signs referred to entering the ESB substation and mobile phone mast area and had nothing to do with parking. Finally, he said he was clamping the car because he was under instructions from NCPS to do so. He couldn't tell what was wrong with cars parking in the space.

I appealed my clamping on December 9th and am awainting a repsonse before next Wednesday. A lack of response or failure of the appeal will result in a small claims court action.

On a related matter, there was an article in the Sunday Times before Christmas concerning provision of Park and Ride services by local authorities. The article highlighted that while "€38.7m has been provided by the Department of Transport to provide car parks in the outer suburbs and commuter towns over the past three years, only €5.6m was taken". It goes on to state that "Some €7.4m was offered to local authorities in the greater Dublin area in the last five years, yet just €1.3m was used. This year (2006) €5m was available, but none was used."

So it seems we can ride but not park.

[losexpectation]

when I saw the the second day time picture, I jsut thought cheeky!, I think it was fairly obvious you shouldn't try to squeeze yourself into that space surrounded by yellow box, I guess you could avoid the fine because you broken no rule, but I don't think anyone should park there.

On a related matter, there was an article in the Sunday Times before Christmas concerning provision of Park and Ride services by local authorities. The article highlighted that while "€38.7m has been provided by the Department of Transport to provide car parks in the outer suburbs and commuter towns over the past three years, only €5.6m was taken". It goes on to state that "Some €7.4m was offered to local authorities in the greater Dublin area in the last five years, yet just €1.3m was used. This year (2006) €5m was available, but none was used."

What I can' t understand is they had all the empty land beside howth junction station and now its all used up by warehouses and the people on the donaghmede side are giving out about people parking around the green there and there isn't that much room on the cul de sac KIlbarrack side and now Buckleys are going into the chem factory space (rather then Lidl) Why didn't IE build a big park and ride there at a Junction station. Too late now though.

[Thomas J Stamp]

€38 million over three years sounds great, dosnt it. But to buy sites and develop them it is way too little. For the P&R to work it must be adjcent to a station. Land prices near lines are at a premium and knowing that they must bid on a specific spot, the owners of the wanted land are free to ransom it. IE just dont have the money. However, the DoT and the Minister will shout to the rooftops about the €38 million come May and blame IE for not putting in the P&R. The fact that the DoT may as well have provided nothing whatsoever will be lost.