Galway drivers must now pay for Sunday parking

Laviski

http://www.galwayindependent.com/news/topics/articles/2017/08/01/4143817-galway-drivers-must-now-pay-for-sunday-parking/


Just as a FYI to all.

Galway City Council has announced that Pay and Display parking, both on-street and in car parks, now also applies on Sundays.

Chargeable hours for all Pay and Display parking are:

8.30am-6.30pm Mondays to Saturdays
1pm – 6pm on Sundays

Charges for on-street Pay and Display parking are 50 cents for 15 minutes, €2 for one hour and €4 for two hours. A minimum charge of 50 cents applies and a 2 hour maximum stay applies.

Long term car parks are located at The Greyhound Track, Dyke Road and Galway Cathedral and a daily rate of €4 applies regardless of time or duration of stay.

Short term car parks are located at Mill Street and Bowling Green where an hourly rate of €2 applies.

beardybrewer

don't let the price of a pint thread know

thesandeman

beardybrewer wrote: »

don't let the price of a pint thread know

Don't drink OR drive will be the new slogan.

biko

I do not approve of this :mad:

Mrs OBumble

Catch the bus. Price rises there not due until December.

J.pilkington

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Catch the bus. Price rises there not due until December.

Have you ever looked at a Sunday bus timetable?

Do you think people will still want to visit the city? The Sunday afternoon atmosphere in the city is always nice and relaxed as people grab food / take a browse / stroll etc. Paid parking will ruin this especially he the meters are prepay.

I think we should all chip in and rent a house for you for a few weeks in somewhere like clarinbridge / craughwell / moycullen / corofin and leave a few children with you so you can see what it's like to live in the real world as some of your posts are very black and white with zero consideration for what it's like to raise a family / live off a bus route / work unsociable hours / children's appointments etc etc.

Whereisgalway

Another ridiculously greedy move out of Galway council

Mrs OBumble

J.pilkington wrote: »

Have you ever looked at a Sunday bus timetable?

Yup. I catch the bus to the suburbs most Sundays. Every 1/2 hour before noon. Every 20 minutes from noon til 7pm. Every 1/2 hour after that until about 11.

Now I know that's the best route in the city. But it really shows just how much services were improved in 2012 ish when this was introduced.

These days, I even know a bunch of people who wouldn't have dreamed of catching the bus ten years ago - but now wouldn't dream of taking the car in, because it's just too hard to find parking. (That's a direct quote from three of them, from two different families, last Sunday).

People who have a slew of kids typically aren't shopping in the city centre anyways, so won't be affected.

If those who didn't need to travel by car didn't, then there would be enough car-parking space for the ones who don't have a choice. Because that's what Sunday charges are mostly about: using pricing to reduce demand, because of the chaos which free parking has caused.

Another nail in the coffin of already struggling businesses in the city. What sort of brain dead individuals are coming up with this stuff.

stampydmonkey

Bunch of antiquated numpties on that council. They are stuck in the stone age. Driving around Galway you'd seriously wonder where exactly all the money goes.

ArtyC

I don't see how anyone gets free parking on Sunday as most are left from Saturday night ?

I have a resident parking permit but on Sundays I can't move my car as I'll never park again before 11 at night. It's so frustrating... so I welcome the move

Donal55

biko wrote: »

I do not approve of this :mad:

Move to Roscommon.
Free parking everywhere.
And they have a better football team☺

Charging for parking like this leads to a better overall situation for retailers and the public i.e. More parking available in general as the Saturday night pissheads can no longer abandon their cars until their hangover subsides.

It will also lead to an increase in use of public transport and taxis.

Given how the local authority budgets have been slashed in the last decade, I commend GCC on looking at other sources of funding. Given this is easy to implement with little additional costs for a 170k increase in the coffers, it's a no-brainer.

Lastly, don't forget the fact that this was proposed by the council and approved by the elected councillors so if there is an issue with it, take it up with your local representative.

I drive in from the country with a small child occasionally. EUR 4 to park in the Dyke Road isn't going to put me off.

Depending on where I am going and the weather I would end up in paid parking in Hynes yard or the Corrib SC anyways.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Charging for parking like this leads to a better overall situation for retailers and the public i.e. More parking available in general as the Saturday night pissheads can no longer abandon their cars until their hangover subsides.

Retailers are staunchly against this and nearly every retailer in Galway (and other Irish towns and cities) who have had to close have cited parking charges and reducing numbers of parking spaces by adding wider paths, bike lanes etc as being a key reason for their business going down as it strongly discourages people from coming into the city.

In other words I've no idea how you think it's better when every retailer would disagree with you. Galway city needs the 10's of thousands of people who come in from the county and if they can't drive in and park (and for free on Sundays) they will go else where as busses etc are of no use to them. Also for anyone who is shopping busses are really not much use, how can you carry multiple bags, get heavy items etc bringing the car is by far the easiest and most practical way to shop.

Carly Flabby Eyeteeth

Carly Flabby Eyeteeth wrote: »

Retailers are staunchly against this and nearly every retailer in Galway (and other Irish towns and cities) who have had to close have cited parking charges and reducing numbers of parking spaces by adding wider paths, bike lanes etc as being a key reason for their business going down as it strongly discourages people from coming into the city.

In other words I've no idea how you think it's better when every retailer would disagree with you.

Got any quotes to back those very broad assertions?

Retailers who offer free parking might enjoy a bump in trade.
Retailers who offer paid parking might welcome more equal competition with council parking.
I doubt retailers in either of those scenarios would speak out about it.

enda1

Why do people expect to be able to have free publicly paid for parking in a city, and not expect to have free publicly provided transport into the city centre instead? 10m2+ of ground rent should surely be paid for by the user, no?

enda1

enda1 wrote: »

Why do people expect to be able to have free publicly paid for parking in a city, and not expect to have free publicly provided transport into the city centre instead? 10m2+ of ground rent should surely be paid for by the user, no?

Because they are paying vast amounts of tax already to own and run a car, far in excess of anyone who uses public transport. The very least they should be getting is free parking.

enda1

Carly Flabby Eyeteeth wrote: »

Because they are paying vast amounts of tax already to own and run a car, far in excess of anyone who uses public transport. The very least they should be getting is free parking.

The cost of motor tax, fuel tax, vrt, vat etc. on car ownership doesn't come close to covering the cost of the road infrastructure in Ireland. It is primarily paid out of general exchequer and that is paid by us all. So there is no justification for free parking.

b.gud

Are these changes coming in with immediate effect?

Mrs OBumble

Carly Flabby Eyeteeth wrote: »

Retailers are staunchly against this and nearly every retailer in Galway (and other Irish towns and cities) who have had to close have cited parking charges and reducing numbers of parking spaces by adding wider paths, bike lanes etc as being a key reason for their business going down as it strongly discourages people from coming into the city.

Any retailer who is closing will find it easier to blame the council rather than telling the public the truth.

But still .. can you name some who have cited bike lanes as an issue? ('Cos I'm having difficulty even thinking where the bike lanes are ....).

marklazarcovic

b.gud wrote: »

Are these changes coming in with immediate effect?

starts sunday

ben.schlomo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Got any quotes to back those very broad assertions?

Retailers who offer free parking might enjoy a bump in trade.
Retailers who offer paid parking might welcome more equal competition with council parking.
I doubt retailers in either of those scenarios would speak out about it.

It's nox, broad generalisations are his speciality. Retailers complaining about bike lanes? Superb stuff.

J.pilkington

J.pilkington wrote: »

Have you ever looked at a Sunday bus timetable?

Do you think people will still want to visit the city? The Sunday afternoon atmosphere in the city is always nice and relaxed as people grab food / take a browse / stroll etc. Paid parking will ruin this especially he the meters are prepay.

I think we should all chip in and rent a house for you for a few weeks in somewhere like clarinbridge / craughwell / moycullen / corofin and leave a few children with you so you can see what it's like to live in the real world as some of your posts are very black and white with zero consideration for what it's like to raise a family / live off a bus route / work unsociable hours / children's appointments etc etc.

Wow 21 thanks in 10hrs on a small forum like this, I wasn't expecting that, I can only assume I now need to set up a gofundme page to get mrsbumble a taste of real life to widen her perspective, maybe a reality series could be on the cards.

Carly Flabby Eyeteeth

Carly Flabby Eyeteeth wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Charging for parking like this leads to a better overall situation for retailers and the public i.e. More parking available in general as the Saturday night pissheads can no longer abandon their cars until their hangover subsides.

Retailers are staunchly against this and nearly every retailer in Galway (and other Irish towns and cities) who have had to close have cited parking charges and reducing numbers of parking spaces by adding wider paths, bike lanes etc as being a key reason for their business going down as it strongly discourages people from coming into the city.

If you look back, you will find that every retailer along Shop street, Grafton st. etc all complained when pedestrianisation was first mooted. Offer those same retailers the option to return to the past now, they'd laugh at you.

Retailers who fail blame everything but themselves. Sometimes ****e businesses are just ****e businesses.

As for saying that they are against things like wider paths and bike lanes, this I also doubt very much given that these very things increase the volume of potential shoppers.

ForestFire

enda1 wrote: »

The cost of motor tax, fuel tax, vrt, vat etc. on car ownership doesn't come close to covering the cost of the road infrastructure in Ireland. It is primarily paid out of general exchequer and that is paid by us all. So there is no justification for free parking.

Is this really true? Do you have figures to back this up?
I have found the following...

Car owners pay taxes totaling over 5.5 billion.
http://www.simi.ie/Taxation/Motor+Tax.html

Road Infrastructure maintenance in 2017 474 million
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/government-spending-on-roads-not-enough-to-prevent-decay-1.2949227

New infrastructure, Not sure, here is a figure for transport expenditure 1.8 Billion
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=104261807#

That leaves a surplus of 3.2 billion if the 2006 income figures are maintained (178K Vs 120K new car sales drop to 2016)

Even with the figures, the roads are also needed by "all of us" even if your not a daily road user yourself, are they not?

How are all you food goods transported to the shops?
Any any other goods, Electonics, White goods, Beds etc.
How was your housing material delivered for construction?

If you need an ambulance how will it get to you?
Does the cost of Footpaths and street lighting come from the roads budget?
People coming and going to work to keep the economy alive.

Should there not be a legitimate cost from general taxation to cover this?

As for the Parking on Sunday, I thought it was an Irish right to park where ever you wanted to for free on Sundays and bank holidays. I was sure it was in the constitution or something. It was mentioned regularly by parents growing up that the Parking was free on these days, no matter where you where visiting:o

keyboard_cat

Webbs

If reading here people think the cost of car parking (for one day) is such a hit for businesses that they would close down, why are more not constantly up in arms about car parking being charged on a Saturday when the footfall through the city must be multiples of what it is on a Sunday? (

Yes I know complaints are made about car parking but that is usually the cost of parking per hour not the fact they are charging. (and here I agree cost per hour is to high)

xckjoo

Parking doesn't seem to be as important a factor for shopping as people think. I'm sure it does for big box items and supermarkets, but footfall matters more for things like restaurants and smaller stores.

http://www.parkingconsultants.com/salt-lake-city-less-cars-and-more-bikes-a-boost-to-retail-profitability/
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2012/12/cyclists-and-pedestrians-can-end-spending-more-each-month-drivers/4066/
http://theconversation.com/parking-isnt-as-important-for-restaurants-as-the-owners-think-it-is-74750

xckjoo

xckjoo wrote: »

Parking doesn't seem to be as important a factor for shopping as people think. I'm sure it does for big box items and supermarkets, but footfall matters more for things like restaurants and smaller stores.

http://www.parkingconsultants.com/salt-lake-city-less-cars-and-more-bikes-a-boost-to-retail-profitability/
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2012/12/cyclists-and-pedestrians-can-end-spending-more-each-month-drivers/4066/
http://theconversation.com/parking-isnt-as-important-for-restaurants-as-the-owners-think-it-is-74750

Not in Galway but here is a very restaurant closure where an extension in the paid parking hours to 8:30 pm in some parts of cork is one of the main factors being highlighted for closing the restaurant.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/last-orders-for-landmark-cork-restaurant-fenns-quay-455299.html

xckjoo

Carly Flabby Eyeteeth wrote: »

Not in Galway but here is a very restaurant closure where an extension in the paid parking hours to 8:30 pm in some parts of cork is one of the main factors being highlighted for closing the restaurant.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/last-orders-for-landmark-cork-restaurant-fenns-quay-455299.html

Some of the links I posted did research that found that shop owners and restaurateurs perceive that car parking is a much bigger factor to their customers than it actually is. Unless the owners did actual research into what caused the drop-off in their business, I'd take their conclusions with a pinch of salt.

I've personally never picked a restaurant based on the availability of parking but I wouldn't assume to be representative of everyone. I'm just pointing out that parking isn't always as important as people think it is.