Motorbikers refuse council’s ‘compromise’ in Donegal Town debacle

Motorbike representatives say they have refused to accept a compromise offered by Donegal County Council over parking in Donegal Town, following a meeting on the matter this week.

Peter Kyles from Dunkineely was one of the three motorbikers who met elected members from Donegal Municipal District, Council Executives and representatives at the Donegal Town Public Services Centre on Monday.

“It’s not a compromise,” he told DonegalLive.

The meeting, the council said, “was aimed to have an open discussion around vehicular access on the Diamond and find a compromise to suit everyone.”

The council stressed that the newly refurbished Diamond in Donegal Town is not a place to park vehicles.

By way of a compromise, the council said it would designate the area to the rear of the Bank of Ireland as a parking zone for motorbikes only on Sundays free of charge.

“The council continues to appeal to the motorbike community to use this designated parking area only 55 metres from the Diamond to park their motorbikes safely and walk to the Diamond to enjoy the space along with all other users. New signage will be erected to highlight this to other motorists,” the council said.

However, Mr Kyles said there is no compromise in this, as the parking is available to the rear of the bank on Sundays to bikers as it is.

“This ‘compromise’ was offered and not agreed to,” he said. “We are able to park on this suggested spot behind the bank on a Sunday as it is. Donegal Town is a biker-friendly town with the Wild Atlantic Way, where people should be able to park and be safe.

“It seems to me that there are a few people against parking in Donegal Town and they’re the ones making the noise about it. Restricting parking to one area on a Sunday is not an offer or a compromise."

The council, in an official release, said that it “received feedback from users of the Diamond who agree that the space should be pedestrianised to ensure everyone can enjoy the new space in a safe manner”.

“Everyone is welcome on the Diamond including bikers, but it is important that vehicles are not parked on the Diamond,” the statement added.

“The goal is to be fair to everyone, parking of any vehicle is prohibited on the Diamond, that includes cars, quads and any other vehicle in addition to motorbikes. If tickets are being issued to vehicles parked on footways elsewhere in the town, the same rule must apply to the Diamond, which is also a pedestrian footway.

“The Diamond provides a space where both the local community and visitors can enjoy meeting together in the town in a safe and welcoming environment accessible for all,” the council added. “By designating the Diamond a pedestrian area, it is not about excluding anyone, it is about ensuring the Diamond is an inclusive place for all users to congregate safely.

“Donegal Town Diamond has been designated a pedestrian area in the interests of health and safety and to ensure that the space is free from any damage and kept clean.

“The council has asked for cooperation from all users of the Diamond in relation to ensuring the space is designated for pedestrian users and is free from vehicles, so as to ensure the Diamond is a safe and welcoming space where community events can be held all year round.

“The aim is also to avoid cracks to paving due to vehicles parking on the Diamond and to avoid the potential of pedestrians tripping and falling on the cracked paving, and to avoid public money being spent on trip and fall claims that could easily be avoided if the paving was not damaged.

“The council wants to negate the Health and Safety issues associated with vehicles interacting with pedestrians in a designated public realm space, for example - vehicles moving around in a designated pedestrian area; potential for kids touching hot exhausts and potential for kids climbing on bikes and bikes falling over.”

The council aims to encourage a free flow of pedestrian users especially those with mobility impairments, to ensure everyone can enjoy the Diamond, avoid other users feeling uncomfortable or intimidated when they see motorbikes on the Diamond and avoid oil from vehicles and tyre tracks staining the new paving.

It also wants to avoid damage to kerbs due to vehicles mounting them. Avoid street furniture being hit and damaged by vehicles. Ensuring that access through the public realm space is not being impeded by vehicles.

Legislation under the Road Traffic & Parking Regulations, 1997 under Section 36 – prohibitions on parking states that “a vehicle shall not be parked on a public road at a location, in a manner or for a purpose referred to in this article (5); on a footway, a grass margin or a median strip.

Parking any vehicles on public footways such as the Diamond is subject to a fine of €80.00 and a parking ticket can be issued by the traffic warden or the gardaí.

This refurbishment of Donegal Town Diamond has been funded under the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media’s Outdoor Public Space Scheme along with co-funding from Donegal County Council.