Cost of parking permits in Dublin city to rise by 25%

THE PRICE of yearly residential parking permits in Dublin city is to be increased by 25 per cent and households in new parking control areas will be entitled to fewer permits than in existing schemes.

The number of permits available to people living in flats will be restricted as part of Dublin City Council’s new bylaws.

More than 18,000 Dublin residents, mostly living close to the city centre, pay the council an annual fee to park in the street outside their homes.

The council is proposing to increase the fee from €40 to €50. A discount will still be available for those who buy a two-year permit, but this will also rise from €70 to €80.

To discourage too many residents of apartments from seeking permits, similar increases will apply to their annual fees. Blocks with more than four apartments or houses converted into more than four flats would, if they had access to off-street parking, have to pay a total of €500, up from €400 for a one-year permit or €850 up from €750 for two years.

The council said it was necessary to start increasing the fees because of the shortfall between income and the cost of maintaining the schemes, which included administration, running a customer service centre, and engineering costs.

In 2010 the cost to the council was almost €1.2 million while the income from fees was under €900,000.

An increasing demand for on-street spaces in residential parking zones was also giving rise to concern, the council said, as in some areas the number of permits issued exceeded the number of spaces on the road.

The council therefore plans to reduce the permit quota from three to two per household in new parking permit zones. In existing schemes households will still be entitled to three permits.

To guard against any increase in the number of permits held in existing schemes, houses which become converted into flats or bedsits would not be entitled to any increase in the permit quota.

AA Ireland policy director Conor Faughnan said the increase in the annual fee seemed unfair at a time where there was deflation rather than inflation.

The council said there had been increases in pay and display charges yet it had not increased the residential permit fee since 2007 and a rise was now needed to reduce the cost/income gap. Submissions had been made to the council from residents who said more permits were needed for children who were living at home longer.

The council responded that paid parking was introduced only if it was agreed by a ballot of residents who would be aware of the applicable quota when voting.

City councillors will be asked to approve the new bylaws at next month’s council meeting.