I move amendment No. 1:
In page 23, between lines 19 and 20, to insert a new subsection as follows:—
(2) (a) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a vehicle shall not be parked on the part of a roadway immediately adjacent to either side of a median strip for the purpose of enabling goods to be loaded in or on to it or unloaded from it or for the purpose in enabling a passenger to enter or leave it provided that the Authority gives notice of its intention to restrict the parking referred to in at least one newspaper circulating in the area proposed and shall apply for such period as may be specified in the notice.
(b) Except as otherwise indicated by means of a traffic sign a vehicle shall not during such period as may be specified in an appropriate notice under this subsection be parked on a public road in an area to which this subsection applies or on a public road to which this subsection applies, if the unladen weight of the vehicle exceeds that specified for the purposes of this paragraph in that notice.
(c) This subsection shall come into operation in relation to a particular area of public road specified in a notice under this subsection on such date (not earlier than one month after the date of publication of the notice) as may be specified in the notice.
(d) In this subsection ‘vehicle' includes a vehicle attached to a mechanically propelled vehicle (or to another vehicle attached to a mechanically propelled vehicle) a vehicle constructed or adapted for the purpose of being drawn by a mechanically propelled vehicle the drawn component of an articulated vehicle and a vehicle constructed or adapted for use as such drawn component.
(e) This subsection will not apply to any vehicle which is being used in connection with:—
(i) the removal of any obstruction to traffic,
(ii) the maintenance, improvement or reconstruction of a street or portion of a street to which this applies,
(iii) the provision, alteration or repair of a sewer, or of any main, drain, pipe or apparatus for the supply of gas, water or electricity or any telegraph or telephone line,
(iv) a fire engine, an ambulance or any vehicle in the service of the Garda Síochána while being used in pursuance of statutory powers or duties.
I gave notice yesterday in the course of my contribution on Second Stage of this Bill of my concern about the parking of articulated trucks and other commercial vehicles in cities like Dublin. This Bill deals with many important environmental improvements by way of the introduction of road humps, bollards and a series of other measures that I welcomed yesterday. My concern is that Dublin City Council passed a series of improvements of by-laws in 1980 which were then dispatched to the Minister for the Environment for his seal of approval. He declined to give his approval to a set of by-laws which would have the effect of designating residential areas as created by the Dublin city development plan, and which could be applied in the Dublin county area also, as areas where the parking of articulated trucks and commercial vehicles would be prohibited. He declined to assent to this by-law and despite many approaches by Dublin Corporation, of which I have been a member for a considerable time, we have not been able to even arrange a delegation with the Minister for the Environment. This goes back further than this Government as we have been trying to make progress in this area for a number of years.
I do not understand why it is not possible to approve of an amendment of this kind which would have the effect of designating areas, identifying the vehicles which would be prohibited to park in certain areas around the city and county of Dublin and giving the necessary release to public service vehicles who have a reason to operate in these areas due to roadworks, ambulances, fire brigades, etc. It is not just a question of handling the environmental advantages which could be dealt with by this amendment but there has been a spate of fatal accidents involving articulated trucks and commercial vehicles that have been badly lit or the roads on which the vehicles are parked are badly lit. This makes the matter all the more urgent. I hope that the Minister, in the course of this debate, can report some progress in relation to what is a very constructive and important point. If there is provision under section 90 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, I do not see why there has been no progress in this area. This is the reason I have sought the inclusion of this amendment.