E-parking is coming to the north Mayo capital
E-parking, which allows motorists to pay for parking using an app on their smartphone, is to be introduced in Ballina.
Ballina Municipal District members agreed to the proposal at their May monthly meeting this week, in addition to some additional amendments to the street parking and car park bylaws.
In Mayo, e-parking has been trialled in Westport and following the agreement to bring it to Ballina, it will be implemented in the north Mayo capital as soon as possible.
The other main change to the bylaws, following requests from businesses, sets out that discs for residents in the 'red zone' (town centre, including Pearse Street, Market Road, O'Rahilly Street, Pawn Office Lane, Tolan Street, Tone Street and Walsh Street) will confine them to nearby car parks between the hours of 9.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
At all other times (6.30 p.m. to 9.30 a.m. and all day Sunday), on-street parking will be available to town centre residents in possession of discs.
Submissions
The head of Ballina MD, Declan Turnbull, told the meeting that following a period on public display last year, six submissions were received on the draft bylaws.
Two requested parking discs for businesses and ratepayers with rates paid up to date but Mr. Turnbull said the issue for Ballina MD was the difficulty in implementing and policing such a scheme. He also pointed out that with in excess of 400 occupied businesses in Ballina town, it would lead to significant loss in revenue.
However, Councillor Mark Duffy proposed that a 50% reduction in parking permits for paid up ratepayers in peripheral car parks would be well received and would show a lot of goodwill from the county council.
Seconding the proposal, Councillor John O'Hara said it would give something back to ratepayers who have been through a tough time of late.
Two further submissions dealt with residents in apartment blocks, the suggestion being that all residents should be entitled to a parking disc.
In the existing bylaws, a maximum of four discs per residential development are issued. Other residents can purchase a monthly disc for a nearby car park.
Mr. Turnbull said the council did not recommend changing the current bylaw as it could lead to traffic congestion in the town centre. Residents can park for free on those streets from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 a.m., he pointed out.
Councillors Annie May Reape and Mark Duffy suggested a compromise of eight discs per apartment block and said that those discs would be for car parks and not streets, thereby freeing up on-street parking.
A compromise of six discs per apartment block for car parks was finally agreed.
With agreement reached on the bylaws, Councillor Michael Loftus said that while there will be a cost involved in implementing the e-parking scheme, there would be considerable savings in the long term and it would generate a lot more money.
That additional money, he argued, should be reflected in the General Municipal Allocation for Ballina MD. Currently, the GMA is €420,000 even though Ballina generates over €1 million in parking revenue for Mayo County Council.
“I welcome e-parking but I want it noted that we should be getting more from the GMA as we're giving so much to the council,” Councillor Loftus stated.