Moratorium on fines caused by car park confusion ‘unlikely’, council told

A MORATORIUM on fines received by motorists caught out by confusion over car parking spaces at Drumragh Avenue in Omagh is “unlikely” to happen due to legal reasons, local councillors have been told.

Dozens of shoppers and town centre workers say they have been left out of pocket by the ongoing issue at the car park beside the town’s bus depot.

As first highlighted in the UH a month ago, the majority of spaces at this location are classed as ‘off-street’ parking, which is the responsibility of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC). Motorists need to buy ‘pay and display’ tickets to park in these spaces.

However, unbeknownst to many shoppers, a small number of spaces along the wall next to the bus depot are actually ‘on-street’ parking and the responsibility of Department for Infrastructure (DfI). This means that people are allowed to park in these spaces for up to an hour, before facing a dreaded Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

But, speaking recently, local Sinn Fein councillor, Barry McElduff, said he had been contacted by shoppers parking in the latter spaces who were not aware of the difference, and had bought ‘pay and display’ tickets, only to come back and find a PCN left on their vehicle’s windscreen.

At a subsequent meeting of one of the local council’s committees, Mr McElduff called for an ‘immediate moratorium’ on the placing of PCNs on cars parked along the wall until a solution could be reached between DfI Roads and FODC.

His proposal was seconded by independent councillor, Emmet McAleer.

But the council’s chief executive, Alison McCullagh, replied, “We will continue to engage with DfI Roads, but the legislative position is a difficult one in this regard. In terms of the immediate moratorium, I think that’s unlikely, but we can certainly call for that.”

The chief executive suggested that a report be prepared for the May meeting of the council’s Environmental Services committee around what the legislative scope might be.

Mr McElduff had earlier told the meeting that he had been contacted by dozens of people about this issue, which he claimed was happening on a daily basis.

“I would imagine that if any of us walked by that location tomorrow afternoon they would see PCNs on the windscreens, and Pay and Display tickets alongside them,” he added.

In a letter addressed to Cllr McElduff, DfI roads network development manager, Harry Gallagher, said his staff had been in touch with officials from the local council and were ‘hopeful’ that a solution could be reached.