The new penalties will come into operation next month.
Fines for motorists caught parking on footpaths, cycle tracks and bus lanes are to double, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has announced.
The Minister has signed regulations increasing the fixed charge penalty for these forms of illegal parking from €40 to €80.
The change will come into operation on 1 February.
In a statement on the Government’s website, Ryan said the increased penalties will “both promote active travel and encourage a more considerate use of road space”.
“Parking on footpaths puts vulnerable pedestrians, such as wheelchair users and those pushing buggies, at significant risk by forcing them off the footpath and into traffic,” the Minister stated.
“Parking in bus and cycle lanes endangers cyclists and undermines State investment in sustainable public transport infrastructure.
“These increases should help improve the safety of all vulnerable road and footpath users, by creating a more effective deterrent to these specific forms of illegal parking.”
New regulations doubling the fixed charge penalty for motorists caught parking on footpaths, cycle tracks and bus lanes will come into operation on Feb 1, 2022.
Illegal parking puts vulnerable road users at risk and undermines State investment in sustainable transport. pic.twitter.com/44QFdIZWYO— Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) January 6, 2022
Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety Hildegarde Naughton also welcomed the increases.
She said that obstructing footpaths, bus lanes and cycle tracks can also force buses and cars to perform tricky manoeuvers in their attempt to overtake careless parking.
“These new penalties will safeguard families and communities as they make use of our growing network of active travel infrastructure and will encourage more people to walk and cycle as Government invests almost €1 million per day on projects across the country,” Naughton added.
Main image via Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie
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