It will be at least the end of this month before the Sunday public car-parking charges are introduced in the city with signage and recalibration of machines still to be completed.
The controversial Sunday parking charge – passed by the City Council late last year – now looks set to have less than a seven-month revenue producing period in 2017.
As things stand in the city, street and off-street public charges apply from 8.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday – Sunday will now be added on, from 1pm to 6.30pm.
A spokesperson for the City Council told the Galway City Tribune that the Sunday parking charges would now be in operation until the end of May at the earliest.
“Work on signage and the recalibration of the ticket machines is in train and until this is completed, the charges for Sunday parking won’t be introduced.
“A considerable amount of work has been required as regards those two issues but we expect that the project will be completed over the coming weeks.
“The Sunday charges will only apply for the afternoon period from 1pm to 6.30pm for the on-street parking and the four public car-parks at Dyke Road, Newtownsmyth, the Cathedral and Mill Street,” said the spokesperson.
He added that the City Council would be embarking on a public information campaign prior to the introduction of the Sunday charges to ensure that people weren’t caught on the hop..
Fears have been expressed from retail outlets that the Sunday charging regime will make the city less attractive for visiting Sunday shoppers, with rival towns in the west offering free parking on Sundays.
Cllr. Donal Lyons, however, said that the Sunday parking charges would raise funds for a number of specific projects around the city area where money needed to be spent.
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