Illegal parking in Gorey is causing significant issues for people with disabilities

Yvonne Weaver made a video documenting the difficulties she experiences while travelling around Gorey Town.

Stephen Boland voices his concerns over the condition of footpath and cars parking on same at, Clonattin.

Traffic on Gorey's main Street. Pic: Jim Campbell

thumbnail: Yvonne Weaver with her guide dog.

thumbnail: Yvonne Weaver made a video documenting the difficulties she experiences while travelling around Gorey Town.

thumbnail: Stephen Boland voices his concerns over the condition of footpath and cars parking on same at, Clonattin.

thumbnail: Traffic on Gorey's main Street. Pic: Jim Campbell

Isabel Colleran

Sun 5 May 2024 at 14:00

Gorey residents who are less able bodies are urging Wexford County Council to take action against the widespread issue of motorists parking on paths in the town.

Local resident Yvonne Weaver uploaded a video to Facebook recently which showed her and her guide dog attempting to navigate their way home via St. Michael's Court. The video captures how she is forced to walk among traffic, through large potholes on the road and on mucky grass verges.

Yvonne has sight loss and lives in Esmonde Gardens. Recently she suffered another set back when her cane broke after a motorist drove over it. “Only recently, I was beeped at on the road because I could not access the path due to inconsiderate parking,” said Yvonne.

Yvonne believes that if people could step into her shoes they would think more carefully about where they park but at this point, she believes that bollards are the only solution as all the other options have been exhausted: “The council have tried signs and double yellow lines. It hasn’t worked,” said Yvonne.

Stephen Boland, who lives in Clonattin Village, and uses a mobility scooter, has raised concerns regarding parking on lower Clonattin road. He has brought his concerns to Wexford County Council and Gardaí on several occasions.

“This week alone I counted 15 cars that had parked on the footpath and double yellow lines on different days,” said Stephen.

He also explained that he was forced to purchase a new mobility scooter for €4,000 after his last scooter which he purchased last summer, became damaged when he tried to manoeuvre off a footpath that was blocked by a vehicle. He added that his way is often blocked by delivery drivers parking on footpaths and at junctions.

Gorey Pedestrian and Cycling Association (GPCA) is calling for bollards to be placed at footpath parking blackspots such as St. Michael’s Court and Lower Clonattin because of the danger that illegal parking is causing in those areas.

“Many people do not understand the impact that parking on footpaths has. Often people say, sure I’ll only be a minute, but that's all it takes for an incident to happen. People will also say ‘Where am I supposed to park?’ If you are traveling by car, it is your responsibility to find a safe and legal place to park your vehicle. This might mean parking a bit further away and walking for a few minutes to your destination,” said a spokesperson for the GPCA.

Parking on footpaths is illegal and carries an €80 fixed charge penalty notice. It can cause premature wear and cracking to footpaths and it also endangers pedestrians, especially older people, wheelchair users, people with sight loss, young children, and parents with pushchairs. This is a prominent issue across the town and it is having a significant impact on people’s quality of life, especially people with disabilities said the spokesperson.