.
The parking sign erected yesterday by Kerry County Council. Photo: Marie Burke
THERE was anger expressed by customers of the Tralee Omniplex, after they were issued with tickets by Kerry County Council last night for parking on the Dan Spring Road.
Tuesday night is one of the most popular nights to go to the cinema because it only costs €5 for admission.
The cinema had a sign up telling patrons that the car park was full well before 9pm, so many parked outside on the side of the road.
Continued below…
.
When they came out after watching the movie, most people who parked there found they had parking tickets waiting for them and are now facing a €40 fine. It’s estimated between 30 to 40 cars received tickets.
There was a furious reaction online with people saying it was “underhand” and “bad form”, while others said proper notice was not given to motorists either through signage or through the local media that the Council were clamping down on the parking.
County Council signs had been erected earlier that day telling motorists that parking was prohibited on the Dan Spring Road and that fines would be imposed, but some people said the signs were facing out onto the road, towards Castlecountess, rather than towards oncoming traffic and that there were none between the cinema and aqua dome.
The following statement in relation to the matter was issued by Kerry County Council this morning:
“A number of weeks ago, the Kerry County Council Tralee Municipal District Operations office received a number of complaints in relation to illegal parking on the footpaths of the N86 Dan Spring Road. The matter was investigated and found to be related to the special offer advertised by the Omniplex cinema on Tuesdays.
The Area Engineer visited the location on a number of Tuesday evenings and noted that cars were parked on both sides of the N86 Dan Spring Road, making sections of footpath inaccessible to buggies/wheelchairs and also blocking the cycle lane.
Additionally, it was noted that two way traffic was barely manageable due to parking on both sides of the road and concern was raised regarding the accessibility for Emergency vehicles. It was also noted that when the cinema car park was full, there was nothing to indicate that fact, and patrons were still entering the car park while it was full, leading to traffic jams on the main N86 Dan Spring Road close to the cinema entrance.
The management of Tralee Omniplex was contacted regarding the illegal parking by cinema patrons and a meeting took place between the Regional Manager of the Omniplex and the Area Engineer at the cinema location two weeks ago.
It was agreed that the Omniplex would erect signs:
(a) to inform patrons when the car park is full
(b) to advise patrons to use the nearby Brandon Car Park as an alternative
These signs were duly put in place on Tuesday, October 11 by the Omniplex cinema management.
As an additional measure Kerry County Council Tralee Municipal District Operations erected signs, on Tuesday, October 18, adjacent to the Omniplex:
“No Parking on footpaths – Fines will be issued”
These signs were clearly visible to cinema patrons.
As an enforcement measure, Traffic Wardens were deployed in the area last night and a number of parking fines were issued. The situation will be monitored going forward in the interests of public safety.”
Kerry County Council, I hope you do the same with the GAA matches in the John Jo Sheehy road as cars are always parked illegally the whole way up into the Clash area for decades.
Kerry County Council hypocrites!
Spot on there Matty,
Make a complaint they might be on a roll.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IllF47II71s
Why are people giving out , parking on cycle lane = 1 penalty point as per the rules of the road and should be in forced by An Garda Síochána at any time day or night – You Take your chance and reap the consequence get over it
What a shame they are not so vigilant during the busy hours around town and surrounding areas. For example both morning and afternoon the Bracker Regan Road and the top of Mounthawk is impassable because of cars parked on cycle lanes, on both sides of the road, they even go so far as to park on the pedestrian crossings together with cars stopping in the middle of the road to allow children out of the car rather than pull in to the school, and I have never seen the presence of either Traffic Wardens or Gardai. The same goes for the Caherslee Road, by Balloonagh School. This is a danger to all motorists, cyclists and pedestrians on a daily basis yet nobody appears to be willing to deal with the problem. Why is only in selective area that the law appears to apply??
I went to the 7pm cinema I was not told the car park was full I found out after driving around twice and I did not see or was I told that the Brandon car park was available. I did not park on the road I went elsewhere (legally). Now since this is on social media I believe patrons will now know that its best go to the car parks that are available. I think the tickets should be erased this once as it is now common knowledge and from here on in it should come into operation.
Its as bad outside the the green school on the Dan Spring Road in the afternoon when the kids are coming out, cars parked on both sides of the road , cycle lanes blocked and traffic at a stand still while kids just walk across the road , its a nightmare and the powers that be are turning a blind eye to it .
Council hypocrisy and officials speaking from both sides of their mouths! Was this not the same council who gave planning permission to the Omniplex in the first place. Surely they should have foreseen this and insisted that adequate parking spaces be provided by the company. It is also hypocritical of the said Council to be turning a blind eye to the very dangerous parking outside Dunne’s Stores on the North Circular Road, where the pedestrian crossing there is obscured most evenings by motorists who are too lazy to use the Car Park. I’ve never seen a warden or for that matter, a Garda officer, enforcing the law here. There is a serious accident waiting to happen here. The Council are raking in enough money with exorbitant Rates and Motor Tax to provide the motorists with proper safe parking areas.