Galway City Council has announced an initiative to provide free parking for shoppers to encourage footfall to city shops during the run up to Easter.
The announcement was made by Director of Services Ciaran Hayes, at Monday night’s City Council meeting.
Running Monday to Thursday from March 23 to April 5, all council serviced parking spaces will be free of charge from 10 am to 1pm including Dyke Road, Cathedral, Millstreet, and Newtownsmith car parks.
It is estimated the Council will forego up to €50,000 in lost ticket revenue, according to a spokesperson for Galway City Council.
Michael Coyle, chief executive of Galway Chamber of Commerce, welcomes the move, but stresses that there is more to be done: “We would have preferred if it was for longer, but this is a start”. He says it is now up to the general public to respond, “If people respond to the initiative revenues will be generated in city businesses, and the council will be more likely to repeat the scheme, if they don’t it will not happen again”.
Mr Coyle also suggested that the council begin to take an Aer Arann approach to helping businesses in the city, with regard to parking. He says, like the local airline using the incentive of discounted parking, happy hours, and discounts, the council could encourage shoppers, which would in turn increase business revenue, and protect the council’s income from a drop in rates.
