Mayo councillors want 'nasty operation' banned in Castlebar

Clamping motorists in Mayo was described as a 'nasty operation' by a local councillor who supported a call for the practice to be banned in Castlebar.

A motion by Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne to outlaw clamping within the Castlebar Municipal District was supported by his fellow councillors at the recent monthly meeting.

The meeting was told that clamping in a private car park in the centre of the town was ‘disgraceful’ with no leeway given to motorists who use the car park even for a short period.

Cllr Kilcoyne informed his fellow councillors that a woman who was collecting a prescription for her sick child in a nearby pharmacist was clamped with no consideration given to her situation.

“When she said she went to get a prescription he started laughing and there are several other similar cases,” Cllr Kilcoyne told the meeting.

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“There is only one place in the town that constantly does it,” he added. “Is that area where the car park is rated and billed because it is generating more money than some of the shops in the towns. It is totally wrong.

“People think the clamping is being carried out by the stores but it is not. It has nothing to do with the stores. It is wrong,” he said.

Cllr Kilcoyne also referred to another incident where he claimed a person with a disability had their car clamped while their carer had gone into the pharmacist and they were in the car. He asked his colleagues to support him and for council officials to draft a byelaw outlawing the practice before the next meeting in September.

Carnacon councillor Al McDonnell was one of the councillors to voice his support of the motion describing clamping as 'a nasty operation' and stated that a fine was sufficient to someone who has not paid for parking.

Cllr Blackie Gavin said that the company who operate the carpark and the clamping operation show no leeway to motorists and 'it is not until the money is paid will they release the lock'.

“I know elderly people who park there and go to Galway for [medical] appointments [on the bus] and have come back in the evening to see their cars clamped. It is nothing short of disgraceful,” he said.

He commented that he knew of one person who used a consaw to break a clamp on a car but stressed he was not condoning such behaviour.