Battle for parking in Wexford town sees tourists vying for spaces usually occupied by those with residents’ permits

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

The daily struggle for parking spaces in Wexford town is seeing tourists taking spots usually occupied by residents with parking permits. While the spaces in question aren’t automatically reserved for residents, frustration is growing in areas like John Street where bed and breakfast occupants compete with locals for parking.

Raising the issue at the July meeting of the Wexford Borough, Councillor Raymond Shannon said residents were opting to park illegally on footpaths in John St rather than spend an age searching for parking elsewhere.

“They are coming back in the evening after work or being away and their spaces are gone,” he said. “The nearest place to park is Belvedere St. Some of these people are elderly and don’t want to have to park that far away and walk back to their homes.”

Asking that traffic wardens show “some leniency” towards those who park on footpaths, Cllr Shannon pointed out that illegal parking was a common occurrence on the nearby Distillery Road and yet no tickets were issued there.

“Can the warden show some leniency towards the people who have lived there all their lives, the same kind of leniency which is shown to those who park on Distillery Road?” he asked.

“I know no-one has a right to a parking space outside their house but when you’re living in a place for 50–60 years you expect some leniency to be applied.

However, a member of Wexford County Council’s roads department said blocking of footpaths was a “significant issue” for people with disabilities and those using buggies and that it had to be punished accordingly.

“There is an emphasis on ensuring footpaths are open for users,” he said. “We have received complaints from members of the public in relation to cars parked on footpaths and at junctions. This may cause disruption for emergency vehicles which is why we respond to specific complaints.”

In relation to Distillery Road, he admitted it wasn’t regularly patrolled because, if it was, “we’d have tickets on 40 cars”.

With Cllr Shannon asking that bed and breakfast owners be advised to direct guests to private parking on their premises, director of roads Mr Eamonn Hore said he would look into this on the councillor’s behalf.