Sir, - Like most towns in Ireland, the answer to Bray's much-publicised parking problems is the immediate introduction of an hour-and-a-half Free & Easy Parking, combined with free parking permits for local residents. This system ensures that motorists can move freely in and out of parking spaces doing their business or sightseeing in tourist towns. Meanwhile, residents can find parking spaces close to their homes and park there without fear of penalty.
There are sufficient streets in most towns to provide on-street parking for visitors. In cases where there is insufficient space, why not use the money at present collected in the name of parking through the planning process to provide purpose-built car-parking facilities? Indeed, why not use this money for the purpose for which it was collected?
Free & Easy Parking has been tested in Dun Laoghaire through a pilot project in commercial areas of the town over the past year, and has proved a major success. To extend it to the complete town of Dun Laoghaire will naturally require free parking permits for residents.
For our local council to issue these free residents permits requires the Garda authorities to amend their traffic bye-laws - that's all that is required. The sooner the Garda Commissioners sign the dotted line, the better it will be for business people and residents alike.
The day of putting obstacles any obstacle - in the way of people coming to town should be a thing of the dark past, whether that be disc parking, pay and display or meter parking. Yours etc.,
Secretary, Dun Laoghaire Business Association, Northumberland Avenue, Dun Laoghaire.