Free morning parking this Christmas in Mayo county town
FREE morning parking will come into effect in council car parks in Castlebar for the Christmas period from Friday next, December 5.
It will apply from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. daily from December 5 to 27 in Market Square, Castle Street, Spencer Street, and Pavilion Road car parks.
Parking charges for on-street parking and the Dunnes Stores car park remain unchanged.
A notice of motion from Councillor Ger Deere seeking free parking in designated areas over the Christmas period to support local traders was before the monthly Castlebar Municipal District meeting today (Wednesday).
The adjustment proposed, he was told in a response, will support local businesses while maintaining traffic flow and accessibility for the public.
Last year, free parking was offered in the afternoons from 2 p.m., in a move away from morning parking. The afternoon schedule was intended to align Castlebar with other municipal districts. However, feedback from traffic wardens indicated that the afternoon approach created significant operational challenges.
Car parks and entry points experienced severe congestion, causing backlogs onto adjoining streets. Spaces were also largely unavailable to those seeking free parking in the afternoons, likely because vehicles parked earlier in the day remained in place throughout.
And the overlap with school finishing times and increased traffic volumes further compounded delays and impacted the free flow of traffic through the town.
Councillors agreed with the recommendation to go back to free morning parking, from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., with Councillor Deere noting that the business community were happy with this.
Also at the meeting, all involved in the launch of the Christmas festivities in Castlebar last weekend, with the switch-on of the lights, were hailed for their efforts.
The move to a Saturday evening event went very well, Councillor Deere noted. The town, he said, looks fantastic, with its 'elegant' lighting particularly noteworthy.