Parents parking on footpaths should fined demands Mayo councillor

Mayo parents who park on footpaths outside schools to collect their children are putting other children's lives at risk and should be issued with parking fines.

The call to sanction people who park on footpaths was made by Ballinrobe councillor Michael Burke who said he has witnessed children having to walk out on the road to get around parked cars.

The Fine Gael councillor said that he wants traffic wardens to crack down on the practice and start issuing parking tickets to the offenders.

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“I have seen children walk out in front of me avoiding the car on the footpath. They have to walk out by the car and it is a parent who is parked there more than likely. They are putting other people's children at risk by parking on that footpath. I want the full implementation of the law right around the town where people park on the footpath.

“It is as offensive to me as parking in a disabled bay because you are putting people out of the path onto the main road and the motorist cannot see you walking out. There are things we can do to simplify life and the traffic warden has to deal with people parking on the footpath because they are getting away and don't care about it. I make no apologies for that,” he said.

Cllr Burke made the comments at the monthly meeting of the Claremorris/Swinford Municipal District where fellow councillor Patsy O'Brien called on Mayo County Council to carry out disability improvements in Ballinrobe. He said that people with disabilities are not happy with access around the town and called on funding to be made available to improve the situation.

However, Conrad Harley, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council, that improvements had been earmarked in the Ballinrobe traffic management study and if funding is made available they will carry out the works.

Mr Harley explained that placing a set of traffic lights at the junction near the Ulster Bank will improve the situation and was hopeful that planning issues could be resolved for all this to happen.

He added the council were in discussions with the NTA to agree to provide funding to locate a dedicated bus stop at the Cornmarket and once this is agreed the project can begin.

“Once the lights are installed at both locations and the bus stop [is moved] it will mean more room for footpaths with people with disabilities and parents with buggies... and remove parking to facilitate wider paths at pinch points,” he said.

In response to Cllr Burke, he said that funding has been allocated for an additional traffic warden for the town and this will result in more activity on the ground.