New Ross pensioners facing fines of up to €150 for parking illegally to access relocated post office

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Pensioners in New Ross are receiving fines for parking illegally as they try to access the relocated post office in Super Valu on The Quay.

Following the decision to close the existing post office premises on Charles Street after 120 years, the town’s main post office was moved to Super Valu in May of this year.

However, this has left many of those who rely on the post office struggling to find suitable parking nearby.

“Parking in the town is becoming a problem, especially for elderly people,” said Councillor John Dwyer at the November meeting of the New Ross Municipal District (NRMD).

“A lot of them are getting tickets for parking in areas they shouldn’t be parking in. It was a disastrous move and the elderly people of the town are suffering as a result.”

Cllr Michael Sheehan had a novel suggestion for those facing fines which could range from €40-€150 depending on the severity of the offence.

“They should forward them on to the people who shafted the town by moving the post office into Super Valu. The postmaster should pay those fines,” he said.

“It was moved into the corner of the supermarket for convenience. Let’s see how convenient it is when they have to pay those fines after making pensioners wait 50 minutes to get served, standing there with no privacy.”

Describing the loss of a “prime building in such good condition” as “soul-destroying”, Cllr Sheehan said he was constantly hearing “horror stories” from people waiting almost an hour to get served in the post office.