Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine his policy in relation to the growing problem of larger vehicles parking in residential areas; and the measures he will take to combat same. [17895/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Road authorities already have power under article 38 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 to apply restrictions on the parking of large vehicles. The regulatory provision applies to any type of large vehicle, for example, a goods vehicle, a passenger vehicle such as a bus or machinery plant such as a JCB unit and the like.

This power is applied by a road authority through the provision of a regulatory prohibition on parking traffic sign displaying a vehicle weight threshold at the entrance to an area. The road authority specifies the weight threshold that would be appropriate for each location. Any large vehicle, whose unladen weight exceeds the weight displayed on the traffic signs, is restricted from parking in that area except for a period of time not exceeding 30 minutes from the commencement of parking while goods are being loaded or unloaded. This 30 minute exemption is to permit access to vehicles that have a legitimate purpose to be parked there.

The scope of the present powers are ample to apply whatever parking restrictions are required at local level. The application of the parking restrictions under article 38 on any public road is a matter for each individual road authority to determine in relation to its own area. Enforcement of the parking restrictions is a matter for the Garda Síochána, local authority traffic wardens or authorised persons.