[Article] €97,600 for clampers on one Dublin street

Victor

Apparently the Castle Street 'victims' include a number of politicians.

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/1684059?view=Eircomnet

EUR97,600 for clampers on one Dublin street
From:ireland.com
Friday, 17th October, 2003

The most lucrative street in Dublin for the City Council's clampers is Castle Street, the short, cobbled stretch behind City Hall.

Figures obtained from the council under the Freedom of Information Act show the street, which runs along the north side of Dublin Castle, generated €97,600 last year. To earn this 1,220 cars or an average of more than three a day, were clamped on the street. The fee to have a car released is €80. The second most lucrative street is North Great George's Street, from which the clampers gleaned €77,280 in 2002. Some 966 cars were clamped to generate this, or 2.6 a day.

Although clamping is carried out throughout the council's area, including residential districts, the top 10 revenue-generating streets are all in the city-centre. Six are on the south side. Mr Paul McCarthy, traffic enforcement officer with the council said the nine clamping vans operated by the contracted company Control Plus did not set out to target individual streets. "Obviously they give particular attention to the commercial areas," he said, adding that the clampers were most active at the peak times of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

"If we get a pattern of complaints about illegal parking in an area we put more frequent patrols there, but that is not to say we over-patrol some areas and ignore others." As well as the nine clamping vans, Mr McCarthy said there were many more mobile "spotters" on motorbikes as well as the council's CCTV network feeding images of streets and illegally parked cars back to the traffic control centre at the civic offices on Wood Quay.

"Obviously we can't target the pay and display offenders with the cameras but we can target vehicles causing obstructions at bus stops, taxi ranks, bus lanes."

The council also paid "particular attention" to the disabled parking bays, he said. "We do instruct Control Plus 'Don't tolerate people going into the disabled bays unless they have the correct certificate displayed'. When able-bodied drivers take those spaces it is a major inconvenience for the disabled drivers."

One resident of the most lucrative street north of the Liffey said he felt "terribly sorry for the people, especially those from the country, who park on the street on Sundays and don't expect to be clamped". Senator David Norris said he agreed there should be "restricted parking on the street so there are places for the street's residents, but I think this seven days a week is a bit severe". Revenue generated by clamping has climbed yearly since it was introduced in 1999, to €3,664,975 last year.

It does not, however, make a profit, according to Mr McCarthy. "It doesn't even break even but we see it as a necessary investment.

"Since we've had the clamping and removal services the incidence of illegal parking in the city has reduced dramatically."

Clampers top 10: Dublin streets

Castle Street €97,600
Nth Gt Georges St €77,280
Merrion Sq Nth €64,640
Dawson Street €53,120
Capel Street €48,080
Synge Street €39,680
D'Olier Street €38,800
Parnell Sq Nth €38,480
Molesworth Street €36,400
Parnell Street €33,040

Bee

Funny that DCC claim not to make a profit from one of the most lucrative contracts ever tendered by DCC,it just once again shows the rank amateurism of DCC's traffic dept.

The thug like attitiude of many of the clampers is to be deplored but DCC need a good kick in the rear for allowing it to continue. We can't blame control plus for doing their utmost to screw taxpayers and the council as it is a profit making business but DCC need to be taken to task for encouraging many of its practices.

I note Castle St is a prime money generator for Control Plus, not surprising, as the main strip targeted here is the area desiginated for coaches, this is never used by coaches after hours so when many visitors go to the Olympia and leave their car parked there they are clamped. It is a prime example of a site that is easy to target due to the poor and confusing signage but DCC doesn't care as long as motorists are clamped.

I last remember witnessing a Garda arguing with a Control Plus, for want of a better word, "Clamper" who clamped a wheelchair charity Van e.g. akin to a Sunshine coach for the disabled, parked correctly in a disabled bay having left some wheelchair users into Dublin Castle, the nice "Clamper" was insisting that it did not have the coorect disabled sign on its windshield and that was why he was clamping it.

Bee

Lord Nikon

Originally posted by Victor
Apparently the Castle Street 'victims' include a number of politicians.

...and damn right too. Just imagine the uproar if "polititians" were to get special treatment towards clamping and the likes.

Mmm, just one thing to ponder. On the side of the Control Plus vans it says: "Keeping Dublin Moving". Ironic since it's a "clamping" van. HA:)

Victor

Originally posted by Bee
Funny that DCC claim not to make a profit from one of the most lucrative contracts ever tendered by DCC,it just once again shows the rank amateurism of DCC's traffic dept.

The clamp release fees are not enough to pay for the clamping contract. However, the parking fees more than doubled when proper enforcement was put in place. Hence, clamping puts more money in Dublin City Council's pockets.