""The problem with a lot of these older town centres, which traditionally have offered free parking, is you get all-day parking - people who are commuters or not actually customers of the shopping centre itself, or very often the retailers and the staff themselves," he said. "To actually free up the spaces, to manage the spaces and ensure a quick turnaround for short-term visitors, the introduction of parking charges is the best way to achieve this." He added: "There's no such thing as free parking - someone has to pay somewhere for maintenance, security, shopping centre management."
""Surely make the first hour free, €1.20 for someone just running into Tesco for a few mins is steep, I think that will badly affect the shops," one Facebook user wrote. Another added "Way to kill off your shoppers""
Signs were posted in the centre's main and overflow car parks announcing pay-and-display parking from November 19. Charges will apply Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, and on Sundays and Bank Holidays from 12pm to 6pm. The car parks are owned by Kennedy Wilson and operated by Euro Car Parks Ireland. Clamping and vehicle removal will be enforced, with release fees of €120 and relocation charges of €150. Local shoppers criticised the decision on social media, citing cost and impact on retailers. The Irish Parking Association described the charges as a demand-management tool to free spaces for short-term visitors and cover operating costs.
Read at Irish Independent
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