Dublin needs more multistorey car parks but who should operate these sites?
The Irish Private Motorists' Protection Association is critical of a Dublin Corporation decision to award the eight most lucrative parking areas in Dublin to Irish Car Parks Limited.
Irish Private Motorists' Protection Association (PMPA) has 80,000 members, half in Dublin city and county. It has been engaged in car park facilities in Dublin since 1958. A 1966 survey showed that there were only 36,000 parking spaces in the city centre. In another 15 years, Dublin will need 60,000 city centre parking spaces.
Off-street parking is now vital to the commercial life of the city.
There is considerable money to be made from commercial car parks. But when Dublin Corporation offered licences for the operation of 16 car parks, a row blew up.
The PMPA put in a tender for the 16 car parks. However, six profitable sites inside the city car park belt went to Irish Car Parks (ICP) Limited, linked to the British company National Car Parks (NCP). It is estimated these car parks will bring in a profit of £30,000 a year. Of the remaining sites, eight potentially less lucrative went to the PMPA, and two others went to another company.
Head of the PMPA Joseph Moore questions the Dublin Corporation decision over the allocation of the sites. He is calling for an inquiry into why an external company was selected to run the Dublin car parks instead of the PMPA.
It's a national disgrace to have to bring in outsiders to run car parks here in the city of Dublin.
He stresses the PMPA is a not for profit concern, and would keep the money in the city to invest in better services for the motorist, rather than supporting the British economy. In response, Dublin Corporation said it simply accepted the highest bid for each site.
Irish Car Parks offered a better deal, had the expertise and the experience of operating car parks and obviously made a better assessment of costs.
ICP Limited took over Dublin Corporation's free car park at Waterford Street on 17 November 1970, causing surprise to motorists who were asked to pay, for the first time, for their day's parking.
The motorist certainly resents being approached by a British car park attendant.
Joseph Moore is also unhappy that Dublin Corporation is no longer looking to build a multistorey car park at Bride Street. The PMPA is ready and willing to build carparks anywhere. He has concerns that NCP will back IPC Limited with money to develop multistorey car parks in the city centre. Dublin Corporation states,
The plan dropped because it was not thought to be an economic proposition, the PMPA and other companies interested were told this at the time.
According to newspaper articles, ICP Limited in association with NCP, will retain its profits in Ireland for the development of car parking services for motorists, and intends to build multistorey parking.
This episode of 'Newsbeat' was broadcast on 16 December 1970. The reporter is Michael Ryan.
