‘I was distraught’: Motorists share clamping stories as Dublin moves to new ‘tow and fine’ regime

A planned move away from clamping in Dublin city in favour of new parking enforcement measures has been largely welcomed by motorists.Clamping vans will be replaced in the capital mainly with a system relying heavily on reports from members of the public about illegal parkings. Towing and fining will be prioritised over clamping under the new system. Dublin City Council has ended its deal with Dublin Street Parking Services (DSPS) and signed a five-year €51 million enforcement contract with Apcoa Parking Ireland. It takes effect from November 1st.READ MOREIrish Times readers were asked to share their experiences of parking enforcement in the capital, and many said they would be glad to see the back of clamping.Erin Ó Séaghdha from Dublin described the shock of discovering her car had been clamped after getting off a train.“I was, as a militant rule-abider, pregnant and emotional, absolutely distraught,” she recalls. “I was so embarrassed as other commuters got off the train returning to their cars, and I cried in my car, feeling utterly sorry for myself. The poor unfortunate clamper arrived and seemed concerned at how upset I was. I wailed, stating the obvious. He suggested I appeal it, in an attempt to offer some reassurance.”She was subsequently refunded after an appeal.[ Clamping in Dublin city centre to largely be replaced by towing and finesOpens in new window ]One man, who asked to remain anonymous, shared a story of discovering he had been clamped upon leaving Holles Street after finding out his unborn daughter was gravely ill.“Our car was parked at the corner of Merrion Square, opposite the hospital. When we emerged we could see the clamper across the road. He was kneeling on the ground looking at his watch, apparently waiting for the 10-minute grace period to be over. The clamp was already on the wheel. We called out across the road that we were coming, but he ignored us and locked the clamp exactly 11 minutes after the parking had expired, just as we arrived at the car. “My usually stoic wife was inconsolable after such an emotional day and sat in the car crying. The clampers were adamant that they could not take off the clamp and we had to pay the substantial fee. They said if we sent in an appeal the money would be refunded.“We subsequently submitted our appeal to Dublin Street Parking Services along with letters from the hospital which explained the situation, but the appeal was refused and the fee was not refunded. In all the circumstances we did not have the energy to go to a second-stage appeal.“We were very lucky that our beautiful daughter survived until birth and lived for one day and one night. But the way we were treated that day remains a painful memory because, at a time when a little kindness would have meant so much, none was shown.”[ Clamping at hospitals is at the expense of vulnerable peopleOpens in new window ]Daithi Ramsay from Co Donegal said he got clamped in Dublin because he didn’t realise a city centre street had two different parking zones.“I stayed a night in an apartment near Capel Street for a concert in the Button Factory,” he recalls.“I’d gone looking for parking and checked the sign that said ‘Urban freeway from 8am’, so made sure I was up in the morning to move it only to arrive down to see a clamp on it. Unbeknown to me, half the street was 8am, the other half was 6am, and I’d strayed into the 6am part.”David Loughlin, from Dublin 6, struck a note of caution about the planned change, saying fines were pointless “without rigorous enforcement for nonpayment”. He said: “Towing repeat offenders to the pound and levying hefty storage charges is the only way to change the mindset. In addition, those commuters who park daily on certain suburban streets know that the risk of being penalised is less than the cost of renting a parking space. That attitude needs to be challenged in a financially meaningful way by the new regime.”Brendan McEvoy, from Dublin 4, said he had been clamped on a number of occasions but felt he learned from the experience. “Always my own fault, so I can’t complain, and the lads were always polite. It worked because it changed my behaviour, and I had to think twice before paying for parking, and for how long.”