Car-parking charges for DART stations in Dublin are to be reconsidered by the Government following the successful introduction of parking charges at Luas stations, it is understood.
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, last year turned down a request from Iarnród Éireann to introduce charges at DART and suburban railway stations because, he said, it was public transport policy to encourage more people out of cars.
However, in a U-turn earlier this year, the Minister allowed the agency responsible for the Luas, the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), to charge €4 for car-parking.
A spokesman for the Minister told The Irish Times it was now open to Iarnród Éireann to reapply for parking charges at DART and railway stations.
Iarnród Éireann had sought the introduction of "nominal charges" for rail commuters at Booterstown, Clontarf Road and Malahide stations due to what it said were high levels of non-commuters using the stations' car- parks.
This had happened mainly because local authorities had introduced charges for on-street parking close to the stations.
Iarnród Éireann insisted at the time that the planned charges were not part of a wider plan to introduce charges at other stations along the DART line.
The Luas has around 800 car- parking spaces on the Green line at park-and-ride centres at Balally, Stillorgan and Sandyford. The cost for one day's parking is €4, and €2 for half a day.
Hundreds more car-parking spaces will be available close to the Red Cow roundabout when the Tallaght line opens shortly.Drivers without a valid Luas ticket have to pay an additional charge on leaving the car-park.
The RPA, meanwhile, has dismissed suggestions that money from the car-parks - which are situated on State-owned land - are being used to subsidise Connex, the private firm which operates the Luas.
A spokesman said the RPA collected charges from the car-parks which were used primarily to finance the upkeep of the facilities. While the RPA pays Connex under the terms of a performance-related contract, the spokesman said the private firm was not a direct beneficiary of car-parking charges.
The RPA has also come in for criticism for charging disabled drivers to use car-parks adjoining Luas stations.
While holders of European Wheelchair Parking Cards can park for free at train stations, they are forced to pay the same as other customers at Luas car- parks.
The Irish Wheelchair Association described the charges as unfair, although an RPA spokesman said the parking policy was fair. A spokesman for the RPA said the charges were reasonable and places were designated for disabled drivers.
