McKevitt wants ‘fair parking’ in Newry | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

McKevitt wants ‘fair parking’ in Newry

SDLP representatives in Newry & Mourne have challenged proposals by Roads Service to get rid of manned car parks in Newry city centre.

In a special adjournment debate raised by her colleague Dominic Bradley, South Down MLA Karen McKevitt highlighted the basic unfairness of pay-and-display as opposed to paying at a kiosk when leaving a car park.

Speaking to Newry Times, she said: “As with many other things, such as gas, electricity, telephone or internet usage, we pay for what we use. If you use an extra unit or two, you simply pay for that, but that is not the case with on-street parking.

“Customers are expected to estimate exactly how long their car will be parked there and pay for it in advance.

“If you are lucky enough to arrive back exactly as forecast, that is all very good and you have used what you paid for. If you arrive back early, you have paid for a service that you have not received.

“If you arrive back late, even a few minutes or so, you face a massive penalty, even if you are prepared to pay for your parking in full,” McKevitt continued.

“The one saving grace in Newry was that shoppers, businesspeople, churchgoers, visitors and anyone who was unsure of how long their duties would take could use one of the four manned car parks.

She added, “They would receive a ticket on entry and pay in full when exiting. The Minister Danny Kennedy, however, who knows the area very well, has decided, in his wisdom, that the Lower Water Street, Abbey Way, Canal Bank 1 and Canal Bank 2 car parks will no longer be kiosk-operated.”

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=27347

Posted by on Jan 22 2013. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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