Fine Gael Galway City West Councillor Clodagh Higgins has strongly criticised proposals to extend paid parking across Galway City, warning that any move to include Salthill could create far more problems than it solves.
Cllr Higgins said, that we seem to be constantly reaching for the low hanging fruit when it comes to raising revenue. The answer to every financial challenge cannot be to reach further into people’s pockets.
Cllr. Higgins said that charging for parking along the Prom will not make the cars disappear.
“It risks pushing them into surrounding residential areas like Rockbarton, where residents already experience significant parking pressures, particularly during the summer months. We cannot solve one parking problem by creating another on somebody’s doorstep.”
Cllr Higgins said the importance of keeping Salthill accessible was being overlooked.
“The Prom is part of people’s everyday lives. It’s where people come for their morning swim, where older people meet friends and where those recovering from hip or knee surgery come to walk because it’s relatively flat. Others simply come to sit in their cars, look out at Galway Bay and enjoy a little peace. Why should we make that more difficult or expensive?”
Cllr Higgins also criticised the withdrawal of parking meters across the city. “We pay lip service to making Galway an accessible city, yet we can’t even get the basics right. We’re removing parking meters, expecting people to pay online or find a Payzone outlet and making something as simple as parking unnecessarily difficult, particularly for older people”.
“I haven’t had residents’ associations or business groups asking for paid parking in Salthill. With public realm improvements already reducing parking spaces in parts of the city, surely our priority should be protecting and improving parking provision, not introducing more charges.
Cllr. Higgins concluded by askingshould be making Galway easier to access, not harder to visit.
“Salthill is a public amenity, not a cash cow for the Council, and I’ll strongly oppose any attempt to introduce paid parking there without fully assessing the impact on our community,” she added.
