Drivers ‘willing to take the risk’ as illegal parking surges in Dundalk
Poor parking in Dundalk is being fuelled by motorists who are “willing to take the risk” that they will avoid penalties, a meeting of Dundalk Municipal District has heard.
Cllr Maeve Yore asked for an update on how illegal parking is being tackled, while Cllr Ciaran Fisher highlighted what he described as persistent and worsening issues in the town centre.
The comments came as the local authority were asked to promote the free parking available in Dundalk and Drogheda on St Patrick’s Day.
“From free parking to free‑for‑all parking, there is a lot of bad parking in the town,” Cllr Fisher said.
He urged the council to consider widening the remit of traffic wardens so they can monitor areas just outside the pay‑parking zone, where some of the worst problems have been reported.
Listing several locations—including outside St Nicholas’ Church, Pearse Park, Williamson’s Lane and along Dundalk Grammar School—he said “bad parking” had become a significant concern for residents.
“You don’t have to go far to see evidence of parking on double yellow lines,” he said. “It’s coming to the stage where it seems that you can park where you want if it is outside the pay‑parking zone.”
Cllr Fisher added that many motorists appear confident they will not face penalties.
“The risk-to-reward ratio is very much in favour of the person happy to break the law,” he said.
Councillors also heard that parking on footpaths is posing serious accessibility issues, particularly for wheelchair users and parents with prams who are frequently forced onto the road to get around cars.
Paddy Callan, Senior Executive Engineer, said the council is aware of a number of locations flagged by councillors and that these have been passed to the enforcement section. However, he acknowledged that the local authority is “a bit hamstrung as to what we can do.”
Cathaoirleach Cllr Robert Nash said Church Street is experiencing particularly severe problems but stressed that illegal parking is not solely a matter for the council, and should also involve the garda roads policing unit.