Sir, - The post-Christmas break has brought little relief to those who were foolish enough to risk an empty laneway, side-street or loading zone in the city centre or surrounds. Every traditional haven for the motorist is patrolled vigilantly. These newly uniformed forces with their big vans, coloured warning stickers and horrendous yellow metal clamps are busier than ever even up to 7 p.m.
With no warning at loading zones, no relief even after the 56 p.m. exodus, these highly motivated and obviously financially incentivised "officers" patrol some laneways many times daily in search of their prey. Yet there is no protest from the public or motorist!
The hard-pressed commuter who finds it impossible in the rain to find a quick taxi or bus is expected to contribute to what is really a money-making racket of the most distasteful kind.
Perhaps we can have more information on this clamping contract: the company and people involved, their policies, modus operandi and financial operations. We are told they are now in profit! But is this the purpose of the exercise? Is there no way of curbing their excesses? What have our city councillors to say? Surely motorists must now honk for a stop! - Yours, etc., J. Hoban,
Dublin 2.