Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

On Committee Stage, it was stated that section 11 of the Road Transport Act 1999 requires a bus operator, as a condition of his operating licence, to ensure he has adequate parking spaces and operating premises in the State for the vehicles being operated or intended to be operated under the licence. During the course of their day-to-day operations on public roads, bus operators are subject to the Road Traffic Acts, including in respect of parking. The Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 enable road authorities to provide short-term bus parking areas but they also enable road authorities to prohibit the parking of large vehicles such as buses at a specified location, such as public roads in residential areas. The enforcement of parking regulations is a matter for the Garda, local authority traffic wardens, etc.

I understand what the Senator is saying about residential areas and I am familiar with the problem. Even Dublin City Council has a set-up whereby one cannot park any bus or lorry over three tonnes in the city. In Dublin city, a general ban is in place except where it is allowed. While Fingal County Council may do it differently, local authorities, working with the Garda, have the power to control the problem raised by the Senator. I accept problems can arise from parking, hanging about and when people set off at 5 a.m. by turning on a blunderbuss of a thing. Part 3, Chapter 4 concerns traffic management and gives the authority scope to develop a vehicle parking strategy for the greater Dublin area generally, which the individual road authorities will be required to implement. The Road Traffic Acts will continue to provide the legal basis for control of parking.

Essentially, sufficient legislation already is in place. Other means already exist and as such, I do not propose to accept the amendment.