Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 May 2014
238. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 1190 of 16 July 2013, if he will introduce a pilot scheme in Dublin city to trial the use of partial footpath parking in residential areas. [20700/14]
View answerAs I explained to the Deputy in my response to the Question referred to, there are sound arguments against allowing partial parking on pavements. The key concerns are that footpaths are provided for the safety of pedestrians and to segregate vulnerable road users from passing or parking traffic on the roadway; that footpaths are not constructed to the same specifications as roads and are not built to bear the weight of vehicles; and that pavement parking, if allowed in some areas, could become a matter of habit for many people and difficult to restrict to the areas where it is legally permitted.
I accept that there are also arguments which can be put on the opposite side, particularly in the case of very narrow streets where on-street parking would block traffic flow. I am, however, willing to consider this issue further. The matter would need to be examined in some detail in consultation with key stakeholders and interested parties before any decision could be made with regard to the possibility of a pilot scheme. I propose to engage with the National Transport Authority which is the appropriate body to conduct such an examination.
