Lives Could Be Lost Because Of Illegally Parked Cars in Dungarvan

There is a potential that lives could be lost in Dungarvan if Waterford City and County Council as well as the Gardai do stand start clamping down on illegally parked cars in and around the Quay area of the town.

 Earlier this year in the Dungarvan newspapers, the Council gave notice that it was their intention to close off part of the quay to traffic from a Friday afternoon to Monday morning as they did last year during the month of July.

I was one of a small number of people that strongly objected to the closing of the quay to traffic and in doing so offered the Council a number of other options which was opened to them if they wanted to make the area safe.

These suggestions included the patrolling of the water side of the quay where there is with many years double yellow lines which are constantly ignored by locals and visitors alike when visiting the quay area of the town. I suggested that the council could make the quay entirely one way traffic, or to close it off but to remain those with valid disabled parking passes to continue to park on the quay at all times.

It was on the grounds that if the quay was closed off to traffic that two of the limited disabled parking bays in the town would be lost to those that need to use them.

It is my understanding that others objected to the closing off of the quay on the grounds that businesses on the quay would not be able to get supplies in and out at ease during the hours that the quay was closed to traffic while boat users also objected I am told on the grounds that they would not have ease of access to the jetty to get onto their boats. All very valid reasons I believe, but I also know that some of those that were in favour of closing off the quay did not agree with.

We were told at the time that Gardai would make regular visits to the quay and issue summons to those car owners that they found illegally parked on the water side of the quay. How frequent these visits are it not known. I know that the Gardai do pay visits to the quay. I have observed one in the last number of weeks who walked the length of the quay one Friday evening but chose to ignore a large number of cars parked illegally along the quay.

Maybe I am harsh on the Garda that I saw. Maybe he was taking photos of the car number plates as he walked along the quay and issued summons through the post, but something tells me that this did not happen.

Recently we had a case in Ardmore where illegally parked cars on the villages Main Street was delayed by up to 20 minutes in getting to a patient they were called to at the bottom of the village after she complained of experiencing chest pains.

The experts tell us that when someone complains of chest pains that every minute lost in getting the patient the care they need is a major loss. This is even more vital here in Waterford where outside of the Nine to Five hours patients that get chest pains are often transferred to Cork for treatment because the hospital in Waterford has its unit unstaffed.

Yesterday evening I again walked the quay in Dungarvan. It was a wet evening as we know and you would not expect anyone to be out unnecessarily in the rain, but had a Garda being on the quay be it walking or in a patrol car they would have discovered just after 7pm 13 cars illegally parked along the quay. How many cars were parked illegally before this or after this I do not know.

Passing the two disabled bays outside the Library I also observed that on one of the bays the car was not showing a disabled parking permit meaning that at one point there was 14 illegally parked cars in the area.

Seconds after taking the above photo I noticed a car trying to turn left after coming down Gallwey Lane (the side street between the Chinese and Indian Restaurants while at the same time one car was coming from the Castle end of the quay travelling towards the Causeway and another car coming travelling in the opposite direction. Because all three cars met at the one point, the car travelling towards the castle had to reverse back up the quay, the car coming down Gallwey Lane then drove up the quay followed by the other car travelling in the same direction.

This all happened because two cars could not pass through the area at the same time because of the 13 illegally parked cars on the water side of the quay. I would hate to think what would have happened if there was a line of cars behind the car travelling towards the castle end of the quay meaning that it would be much more difficult for the car to reverse back up the quay.

Worse still I would hate to think what would have happened if an emergency vehicle had to pass along the quay at this time. Would it have got up or down, especially the larger vehicles like an Ambulance or Fire Brigade?

Suppose a boat owner was out of sea and had someone with them who got sick while they were out and arranged to have an Ambulance waiting for them when they got into the jetty and get the patient transferred to hospitals. What sort of hold ups would have taken place, all because of illegally parked cars.

It seems that the laws that exist are not being applied when it comes to the double yellow lines, or if they are then the fines are not strong enough on those that park illegally.

What can be done to improve matters? First up absolute enforcement of the laws that exist at present. Why not install extra camera on the quay and focusing at the height of a number plate and any vehicle owner who parks illegally gets a summons in the post within 3 days of illegally parking. I know there will be some that would object to camera’s being erected, but if you are not guilty about anything then you have nothing to fear from them.

Another option would be for our Elected Representatives along with full time officials engage with whatever departments they have to, too up the charge for illegally parking. I will be honest, I don’t know what the fine is, but whatever it is, and it is not enough of a deterrent to those that park on the quay illegally on a regular basis.

Here is a challenge to our elected representatives, one I don’t know how many would be willing to take up. Arrange some weekend evening to sit in the front seat of an Ambulance or a Fire Engine and try and travel in it when there is illegally parked cars on the quay, finding out first how long it should take them to reach a destination, and then how long it takes them to reach where they have to reach. Will this happen? I doubt it, as I have severe doubts about some people that hold positions be it elected or full time.