Private fines should replace clamping, committee told

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT:CAR CLAMPING is an expensive and unprofitable business which could be replaced if private operators were allowed issue parking fines, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.

Representatives of the Irish Parking Association, the industry body, said allowing companies to fine errant motorists would be a more efficient way of enforcing parking.

The Oireachtas Committee on Transport has been hearing submissions from various different parties on a new bill which would licence private clampers – a commitment in the Programme for Government.

Irish Parking Association secretary Keith Gavin said the average clamping fee was between €100 and €120 but most of that was taken up in Vat, the cost of the clampers and administration.

He told the committee that clamping was a relatively small part of the parking business and was only operated by as little as ten private operators in the State.

Neil Cunningham, director of parking management company APCOA, told the committee that Ireland is the only one of 12 countries in which they operate not to allow private companies issue parking fines. He said car clamping often led to a “very confrontational situation” and many of their staff had been attacked.