It is vital that the Dyke Road and Galway Cathedral car parks be upgraded and renovated to attract more business and generate more revenue for the Galway City Council.
This is the view of Fianna Fáil councillor Ollie Crowe, who believes the car parks are under-utilised, over-priced, and “are driving visitors out of our city”. He has called for an immediate audit of the two parks, which are managed by the council.
“In the current economic climate, the council has the opportunity to increase the numbers coming into the city, while boosting revenue for the Galway City Council coffers,” he said. “City traders, workers and shoppers require affordable parking and Galway City Council could deliver.”
He also wants to see an immediate audit of the car parks to identify necessary maintenance and upgrade works.
“This is vital if we are to maximise their parking capacity and the revenue generated from the parks,” he said. “I also believe there is a significant loss incurred by City Hall as a result of display machines being constantly out of order.”
According to Cllr Crowe, the daily charge at the Dyke Road car park is €5. However there are privately run car parks offering a seven day ticket for €21. As a result he is calling for a reduction in the cost of on-street parking from €2.60 to €1.60 per hour, and for council operated car parks, the introduction of a pre-paid weekly or monthly ticket at a reduced cost.
