Following a successful refurbishment plan over the past few months, Q-Park officially relaunched its Eyre Square parking facility this week with a celebratory event to mark the occasion, to thank its customers for their loyalty and patience, and in particular to show that quality, secure, parking in the centre of the city is affordable.
The official showcasing of the facility included a maximum charge offer on the day, where customers could leave their car for as long as they wanted for just €5. All who parked on the day and signed their name and number on their exit tickets were also entered into a draw where one lucky person could win a prize of €1,000, with 10 runners up prizes of a rugby ball signed by the Connacht rugby squad also up for grabs. The talented Kane sisters, Liz and Yvonne of Letterfrack, also provided live traditional music and entertainment on the day.
“Over the course of the relaunch day, more than 1,200 cars passed through the facility and by 2pm the car park was full with a queue outside waiting to get in,” said Simon Madden, sales and marketing manager for Q-Park Ireland. “The positivity on the day was great and we hope that it had the knock-on effect of benefiting local businesses too.”
Located off Merchants Road, the 450-space parking facility, which is notably one of the busiest and largest facilities of its kind in the city, was taken over by Q-Park in 2012. Upon acquiring the car park, Q-Park identified the need to upgrade and modernize the facility, which did not meet contemporary standards in terms of its layout, traffic circulation, payment systems, and security.
The refurbishment plan, which was split into two separate phases amid a break due to weather conditions in an investment that has amounted to more than €1.5 million, has seen some significant improvements to the existing premises and its on-site services, modelling the facility in look and feel on other similar Q-Park facilities across Europe.
Some of the most obvious improvements have had a wholly positive and seamless effect on the overall parking experience for customers, including the installation of new state-of-the-art barrier systems, new digital paystations on all levels, and a new driver-friendly parking and circulation layout to combat the traffic circulation issues previously experienced by drivers.
The company has invested heavily in security on the premises, installing an enhanced CCTV system in addition to speed shutter and automated entry/exit control systems promoting 24/7 parking. The car park is also able to operate 24/7 by connecting to Q-Park’s remote customer service support centre or QCR (quality control room ) based in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The company also offers on-site services for its customers including jump-starter kits, complimentary umbrellas, or children’s buggies for a duration of their parking, and a defibrillator for emergency situations.
There has been much public discussion and negativity in Galway city over the last period of months around the price of parking in the city centre and indeed the impact it has on local business, however with the relaunch of its Eyre Square facility the company is attempting to prove that parking can be affordable. Q-Park has introduced a new stepped tariff structure where customers are charged in 15 minute blocks as opposed to a full hour. In addition, patrons can book parking online via the Q-Park website and get excellent deals such as eight hours parking for only €6, and €5 for a full day when using a Q-Park Top-Up Card.
“While it has been a massive investment and operation and it is great to showcase this new facility, we at Q-Park will always be committed to giving Galway parkers the best value prices and quality customer service available in state of the art facilities,” said Madden.
For additional information on Q-Park rates for its Eyre Square location, visit www.q-park.ie or call (091 ) 567675.
