Gardai liable to have private cars clamped

Gardaí who park their private cars illegally outside Garda stations will be liable to have them clamped from Monday, Dublin City Council has warned.

Commenting on warning notices which have been stuck to the private cars of gardaí this week, the city council's parking enforcement officer, Mr Paul McCarthy said: "Gardaí are the primary enforcers of the Road Traffic Act and they should be setting an example."

Mr McCarthy maintained that "cars outside Garda stations have been clamped in the past".

However, he said complaints had been received recently from members of the public who were angered at the growing numbers of cars parked on double yellow lines and on kerbs in the vicinity of the city's main Garda stations.

Referring particularly to Pearse Street station, Mr McCarthy said "there is a requirement to try and improve things down there".

"Control Plus [which operates clamping in Dublin] did go in and speak to them."

Asked whether the recent initiative to place red warning stickers on the windscreens of cars parked around the stations was initiated by the city council or by Control Plus, Mr McCarthy commented: "The responsibility is ours."

Mr McCarthy said Control Plus, acting as agents for the council, had told gardaí that they should not consider their private vehicles exempt from clamping.

Official Garda vehicles, whether marked or unmarked, are immune from clamping.