The ongoing row between Clare County Council and independent coach operators refusing to pay the €60 fee to use the car park at the €31.5 million Cliffs of Moher visitor centre is to end up in court.
This follows a number of coach operators stating yesterday that they are refusing to pay parking fines imposed by the council for setting down their coaches at the roadside.
The actions by the coach operators in not using the car park has already cost the council an estimated €50,000 in lost revenues.
It has deployed traffic wardens at the site with fines being imposed on operators dropping passengers at the roadside after the project director for the centre, Ger Dollard said that the practice "has the capacity to endanger the lives of passengers and other road users".
However, a number of the operators are refusing to pay the fines, with the issue now expected to end up in court where the operators are to contest the council imposing the fines.
Jackie Cronin of Glynn's Coaches confirmed yesterday that his company has received a number of parking fines, but has so far refused to pay the fines in spite of reminders.
As a result, a court date is looming for non-payment of fines and Mr Cronin said that he would welcome contesting the imposition of the fines.
Another coach operator, Martin Lally of Lally Coaches also confirmed that his company will not be paying the fines and will contest the issue in court.
Mr Cronin said: "Our legal advice is that we have a good case. These are parking fines, but the coaches are not parking. They are setting down to allow the passengers get off the bus. The council is losing out financially, not just with the €60 charge that is not being paid, but we give our customers 50 minutes to do a tour and I'm sure that if they had more time, they would spend more in the shops in the centre."
He said that the coach operators would be open to a charge of €20. "I don't know where this is going to go. It needs to be resolved, but it is not costing us anything at the moment."
