Cars parking illegally in disabled bays a ‘huge problem’ in Wexford town
Wexford PeopleWexford town has a “huge problem” with cars parking illegally in disabled bays and on footpaths. Noting that many motorists adopt the ‘I’ll just be five minutes’ approach when parking in areas designated for disabled drivers, Cllr Biddy Walsh said the onus is on the citizens of the town to address this endemic issue.
Speaking at the September meeting of the Wexford Borough District, Cllr Walsh said many of those living in the town were oblivious to the plight of those struggling to navigate the walkways of Wexford.
“It’s important for us as councillors to see things from the perspective of other people,” she said. “We have bins on footpaths, cars parked illegally everywhere, and you’d walk past them every day of the week without noticing.
"There’s a huge problem with rule breaking. And it’s not something which can just be sorted out by the council, we need to influence people to make these decisions, the onus is on everybody in Wexford to see life through the perspective of the elderly, the disabled, the visually impaired. Because it’s up to the citizens of the town to solve this.”
Cllr Walsh was responding to the results of a walkability audit carried out by Wexford County Council (WCC) age friendly officer Niamh Bolger which analysed how safe it is for those with mobility issues to get around Wexford.
“Ensuring people can safely access the town is not an option it is a core requirement for quality of life and independence,” said Ms Bolger. “Studies show that improving accessibility directly increases the amount of time older adults spend outside."
As part of the audit, Ms Bolger and her team primarily focused on the centre of Wexford town, carrying out an assessment of its Main Street and Quay areas.
“We found footpaths with uneven surfaces, obstructions on paths including sandwich boards, tables and chairs, bins, and also cars parked on paths. All these factors create a barrier for older people,” she added.
In terms of specific issues in specific areas, the audit found that the lack of formal crossing points at the Bullring, Abbey St and George’s St area created a problem for older pedestrians. Undersized disabled parking bays at McCauley’s car park were also cited as was the narrow width of walkways on Anne St.
The issue of cars parking illegally on footpaths was, according to Cllr Vicky Barron, down to selfishness and a lack of care.
“It should be a mandatory part of the driving test that you know where it’s safe to park, it’s a huge issue in Wexford, it’s so blatant, people just say ‘oh I’m just popping in for five minutes’ but that’s the five minutes when someone needs to get past.”
Raising a concern which had previously done the rounds in the chamber, Cllr Tom Forde asked whether regular checks on businesses utilising street furniture outside their premises were being carried out.
“The vast majority of businesses are compliant but it only takes a few,” replied chief executive Eddie Taaffe. “A small minority do put out tables and chairs without a license and we do visit them. WCC has been accused of being anti-business in the past but we’re pro-people and want everyone to be able to get around the town.
“What’s good for people is good for businesses, and removing street clutter certainly isn’t anti-business, we want to the town as attractive as possible and as safe as possible.”
Regarding wheelie bins, Mr Taaffe said the council would be taking a zero tolerance approach towards those flagrantly abusing the laws.
“If wheelie bins are left out for days after being emptied, we’ll take them, and I make no apologies for that,” he said.
Raising one last concern, Cllr Walsh said young people on scooters were striking fear into the hearts of the elderly.
“There’s something major going on with these, you see three people on them at a time, on footpaths. They are stopping people coming into town, older people are afraid of their lives.”