07/05/2023
Ok Ballybofey and Stranorlar I think it’s time we had a conversation about parking in the twin towns.
After years of asking councillors about getting 30mins free parking in our town to help smaller businesses survive and make our town more attractive to shop in and getting absolutely nowhere, today was the final straw. A customer pulled in outside our shop to pop in for five minutes max. The tyre of his car was about a foot over the yellow line. A traffic warden SPRINTED across the road and was at his window in 20 seconds. Before our customer could get his seatbelt off he was told to move. The warden DEMANDED he leave even though he said he would only be a few mins and would be 10ft away from his car. He wouldn’t even have had time to get a ticket. Within a minute the warden was issuing him a ticket. ONE minute. Our customer drove off and we did not see him again today. Instead of using common sense the warden chased a paying customer away from my door. Pure power trip. The same warden proceeded to issue two more tickets to two other cars on the Main Street within the next 20 minutes.
As a small business we are constantly paying tens of thousands in taxes, electricity, rates and insurance and we can not even have five minutes grace for parking in Ballybofey. There is NO grace period for parking in our town. This is the straw that broke the camels back. I propose that we should be given 30mins free parking in the twin towns. If the businesses and people of the town are behind my proposal please like, share, comment and tag anyone you think that could help get the conversation started.
Let’s do this!!
Donegal County Council
Ballybofey & Stranorlar Chamber of Commerce
