Free parking in battle to tempt festive shoppers
A DUBLIN council is offering free parking for three hours a day during the festive period -- in a bid to draw more shoppers to Dun Laoghaire town.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) will not charge shoppers for parking in the town from 4pm to 7pm Monday to Saturday, starting tomorrow.
The council had been at odds with the Dun Laoghaire Business Association (DLBA) over plans to increase parking charges and charge residents for parking in certain zones in the town.
But the DLBA and local representatives are hoping that this pilot project will improve business over Christmas.
Don McManus from DLBA said: "We welcome any initiative taken to apply (a reduction) to the parking charges, we're delighted. It's small little initiatives like these that help."
"There's an appetite for reducing the parking charges, and together with the new Christmas lights in Dun Laoghaire and the fireworks display, it all comes together to make a town a place."
For the Christmas and New Year period, shoppers will get three hours' free parking from December 11 to Saturday, January 15, a council spokesperson confirmed.
Enforced
The promotion applies to council pay-parking spaces within the area bounded by Queen's Road, Crofton Terrace, Clarence Street, York Road, Tivoli Road, Glenageary Road Lower, and Park Road.
"All other parking restrictions will continue to apply and be enforced," the spokesperson said.
Cllr Cormac Devlin said: "It's not only good news for traders. It's good for local employment. More part-time people will be brought in if business is going well."
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- Geraldine Gittens
