10,000 sign parking petition in Trim over loss of grace period

Some 10,000 people have signed a petition in Trim protesting against the changes in paid parking introduced by the town council in its recent budget. Councillors voted to increase parking charges to €1 per hour, increase the minimum charge from 30c to 50c per hour and to remove the '10 minute grace period' to balance their annual budget without increasing business rates. The abolition of this grace period has proven most controversial and hard-pressed traders say it is having a big impact on their businesses and want to see it reinstated immediately. The campaign is being spearheaded by Joe Patterson of Trim Area Traders who insisted the removal of the grace period is having a detrimental effect on business. Local traders met on Tuesday of last week and were due to meet again last night (Tuesday) on the issue. A delegation from the traders is also due to meet with town clerk Brian Murphy, town manager Des Foley and council chairman Cllr James O'Shea on Friday afternoon to discuss the matter. Cllr O'Shea pointed out that, as far as he was aware, Trim was the only town in the country that allowed a 10-minute parking grace period. He said it had not been an easy decision and that if they did not pass their annual budget, the council would be disbanded after 28 days and the town council would be run from a committee in Dublin. Cllr O'Shea said there had been severe cuts and it was the toughest budget in five years but they had to come up with a balanced budget. He said there would either have to have been a two per cent increase in rates or the changes in parking with the hourly rate increased to €1, the minimum charge increase to 50c and the removal of the 10 minute period.