The number of parking fines handed out in Clare last year nearly halved compared to pre-pandemic levels.
1,338 penalties were dished out by the local authority in this county last year, with more than half of those in Ennis.
The number of parking fines handed out by Clare County Council in 2020 and 2021 combined are still less than that of 2019’s levels.
A Freedom of Information request from Clare FM shows though the 1,338 notices given out here last year are a 23 percent increase on 2020’s number, it’s still a 45 percent drop on the year prior.
The majority of last year’s fines were given for vehicle owners parking in fee paying car parks without paying.
Parking a vehicle in a prohibited place and parking in disabled bays among the other most common reasons for fines being imposed.
While more than half of the penalties issued by the local authority last year were in Ennis, the areas of Lahinch, Kilkee and Doolin accounted for nearly 600 fines between them.
The Council took in just over €57,000 from parking penalties last year, which leaves a hole of nearly €40,000 in the coffers from 2019’s number.
The local authority has previously told Clare FM that any reduction in traffic volumes throughout the county during the year reflects the reduction in fines issued during the same period.
