ZERO TOLERANCE Mayo County Council Road Saftey Officer, Noel Gibbons, and Mayo County Council Senior Engineer, Michael Mongan, supervise the removal of an illegally parked car for sale on the N84 Castlebar to Ballinrobe road. Pic: Michael McLaughlin
Council impound car parked on roadside
Emer Gallagher
A MAJOR clampdown on vehicles for sale on the roadside has been administered by Mayo County Council.
Amid much national media interest last Wednesday afternoon, a silver Ford Fiesta was impounded, leaving the owner facing hefty fines and the threat of the vehicle being crushed. The owner of the car, which was situated at a junction at Ballintubber on the N84 Castlebar to Ballinrobe Road, failed to act on the Council’s warning to remove the vehicle.
“People don’t realise how serious it is. Examples have to be made of people,” said Mayo County Council Road Safety Officer, Noel Gibbons.
When a car is impounded the removal fee is €200 and the car incurs a €25 fine for every day it is stored. If the car is not claimed and fees paid in six weeks the car is crushed.
According to Mayo County Council, there has been a significant increase in ‘the illegal and highly dangerous practice of placing cars on the public roadside with a view to their sale’.
Senior Engineer with Mayo County Council, Michael Mongan said: “The Council have decided to do this from a road safety point of view. There is a proliferation of these cars all over the county and they are parked at various junctions blocking the view. The road users are pulling up to view them and in doing so are causing a traffic hazard.
“We want to get the message through that this is not acceptable and that Mayo County Council intend to clear the roads of these vehicles.”
Any vehicle found offered for sale on the public roadside will be affixed with a sticker instructing its removal within 24 hours. If the vehicle is not removed, or if the same vehicle is found offered for sale on the public roadside at any time in the future, it will be removed by the County Council in accordance with the provisions of the Roads Act and stored for a maximum of six weeks, before being disposed of.
Persons seeking to reclaim the vehicle must pay the costs of removal and storage of the vehicle in full before the impounded vehicle can be released.
The Council is inviting the public to play its part in improving road safety by contacting Mayo County Council’s Roads Department with details of any unauthorised vehicles that may come to the attention of the public.
