Dublin City is set for a significant change to its parking enforcement system, with a new contractor preparing to take over and a greater emphasis being placed on towing and vehicle removals rather than traditional clamping.
Apcoa Parking Ireland is due to begin a five-year contract with Dublin City Council on November 1, replacing Dublin Street Parking Services (DSPS), which has been responsible for enforcement in the city since 2004.
Under the new system, clamping will not disappear completely, but the method used to deal with illegally parked vehicles will depend on where in the city the offence occurs.
The capital will be divided into six patrol zones, with enforcement staff maintaining a regular presence throughout each area during peak periods.
The four outer zones will primarily cover residential districts and will respond to reports from members of the public about illegally parked vehicles.
A greater emphasis on removing vehicles will apply in Zone 5, covering areas around the outer city centre. The council says enforcement there will concentrate on “the movement of traffic and achieving vehicle removals and relocations”, meaning towing is expected to play a much larger role.
The approach will change again in Zone 6, covering the inner city centre. Parking Enforcement Operatives will patrol mainly on foot, with the system operating in a manner similar to traditional traffic wardens, including the issuing of fines to motorists who breach parking restrictions.
Dublin City Council has said the new model is intended to make enforcement more responsive and better suited to the different parking and traffic pressures across the city.
Clamping has been used in Dublin for almost three decades as a deterrent against illegal parking and has long been a source of frustration for motorists.
The council's existing arrangement with DSPS is now coming to an end. Apcoa was awarded the new five-year contract, valued at approximately €51 million, following a procurement process.
Q-Park, which owns DSPS, had initially mounted a legal challenge to the decision to award the contract to Apcoa but subsequently withdrew the challenge, clearing the way for the new operator to take over.
The change in contractor and the revised enforcement arrangements are scheduled to come into effect together in November.
The move comes as Dublin continues to face pressure from congestion, illegal parking and vehicles obstructing bus routes, cycle lanes, footpaths and other areas where parking is prohibited.
The council's new zone-based approach is designed to allow enforcement resources to be targeted according to local conditions, with towing and relocation given greater priority in areas where illegally parked vehicles are considered to have a significant impact on traffic movement.
