Aura Leisure Centre

martyeds

I attending Gift Grub in the Aura on Sat night. The show was ok and a good nights craic but i was astounded that the Aura were charging 5 euro for the use of the car park. I was on a taxi so it didnt bother me but i thought it was scandalous.
Do they normally charge for the use of the car park in these type of events?

Domscard

martyeds wrote: »

I attending Gift Grub in the Aura on Sat night. The show was ok and a good nights craic but i was astounded that the Aura were charging 5 euro for the use of the car park. I was on a taxi so it didnt bother me but i thought it was scandalous.
Do they normally charge for the use of the car park in these type of events?

Yes, that's why I never go there for anything anymore. It's ok for those who live in or around Letterkenny who can get taxis, but if you have to drive from a distance it's a horrible extra expense that I believe is unwarranted. I guess they operate on the premise that if people will pay it, let's dig the arm in ...

mrmac

Jeez, that's ridiculous! I didn't know they did that. How do they charge you? Is it a guy at the gate? What happens if you're just dropping of someone?

It wouldn't matter if you lived in Letterkenny. If you're bringing the car, you still have to park it somewhere. There may be a few places to park further out, at O'Donnell Park, but there isn't any parking places anywhere nearby. Even the car park at Dunnes Stores would be closed/gated by the time a show would finish.

€5 is just taking advantage.

inode

is that just when there is special events on or just if you want to go for a swim? :eek:

North_West_Art

isn't this something that should be brought up with Aura Leisure Centres HQ?
It is a scandal especially if it hadn't been advertised, real gombeen-man style opportunism

mrmac

inode wrote: »

is that just when there is special events on or just if you want to go for a swim? :eek:

Must be for special events only, as there is no charge when using the place normally.

Cat82

Yeah it is ridiculous. We were at it too but we parked on the kerb like everyone else. Most people parked along the road or up on the kerb. I think o donnell park was open too.

Someone was saying that the person collecting the money wasn't exactly at the gate. They were further down the road so that when you turned into the car park you couldn't turn to leave when you discovered they were charging.

onway

I was also at the show and paid €5 to park.I was really annoyed about this charge and it would put me off attending other events at the Aura. Also, the traffic management at the end of the show was awful ,so , after paying our €5, we sat for ages before we could get out of the car park. Surely if they charge for parking they could at least use this money to provide people to help clear the traffic.

mistermouse

the people responsible for this are the local councillors who gave over a community facility, grant aided hugely, and debted to the local council to a private company to charge and run however they like.

They put up all sorts of prices for schools and swimming groups too. its as scandalous as the parking charges at the hospital, again going to a private company

the_dark_side

and why would local councilors do such a thing? Why hand over something which is for the community .ie the people who elected them.... to an independent body who will impose a charge on the community who the facility was intended for to begin with? It seems very strange, can someone please explain why they would do this?

Domscard

The response to complaints is a deafening silence. The only way to get the message across is for people to stop going to these events or, at the very least, stop parking there. People need to be made aware that the charge exists so that they can make alternative plans.
I don't know if any of the local Letterkenny people have approached their councillors about the issue? Anyone? Probably too late now as the control has been handed over.