Details of top parking offences in Cork City revealed

THE full details of parking offences in Cork city have been released. 

The top five offences were previously released at the Joint Policing Committee Meeting earlier this month but Green Party Cllr Lorna Bogue requested a full breakdown of offences.

There were 35,056 fines issued in total from January 1 to October 31.

The top offence was a failure to display a valid parking disc, which saw 18,156 fines and accounted for just over half of all offences.

Failure to display a current vehicle license disc was the next offence, with 4,310 fines, and parking in a loading bay was the third most common offence, with 3,185 fines issued.

1,175 fines were issued for parking on a footpath. Parking in a cycle lane saw 241 offences.

Thirty-three drivers were issued a fine for unlawfully parking in a bus lane. Fourteen were fined for parking wholly or partially in a bus stand, and a further 105 were fined for parking in a bus stopping place. This brings the total bus-related offences to 152.

Cllr Bogue said she asked for this information to get a clearer picture of the types of parking offences people were committing.

“Parking in cycle lanes and parking on footpaths were not included in the top five offences in the Joint Policing Committee report from last Monday,” she said. “These offences are actually the most dangerous because this type of parking can push vulnerable people out onto the road. People with disabilities, parents with buggies, and cyclists may be forced to go out into oncoming traffic if there is a car parked on the pavement or on the cycle lane.

“I get constant complaints from my constituents about this issue.”

Cllr Bogue says her next step is to find out the level of enforcement, and how many people actually pay the fines.

“In the Joint Policing Committee report, there was also data on litter fines and derelict housing. This contained a full list of offences, fines paid and the court cases the council were taking in relation to this. I’d like to see the same information for parking offences.

“There were over 35,000 fines issues, but how many of them were collected?”

Lack of enforcement is an issue, but Cllr Bogue says that when the council do take someone to court over a non-payment of a fine, they usually win. 

"I appreciate it is a lot of effort, but something has to change," she said. "I don't know why they are not taking more cases. Something has to give.

"Enforcement is the issue. We should be emphasising how dangerous parking on a footpath and cycle lane is. It is a health and safety issue, a risk issue."