[ThomasJ]

From Drogheda Independent
http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/n...t-1857657.html

By Fiona MAGENNIS


Wednesday August 12 2009

A LOCAL commuter has hit out at Iarnrod Eireann after her car was clamped at Drogheda Train Station - despite the fact she had a valid parking ticket which she claims was clearly visible.

Fiona McDonnell, who commutes each day to her job in Howth Junction, paid for her parking ticket as normal last Wednesday and left it on the dashboard.

However, Fiona said the ticket must have blown off the dashboard as she closed the car door but was still clearly visible on the passenger seat.

Despite this, when she arrived home on Wednesday evening her car was clamped and she was forced to pay € 125 to have it unclamped by the private company employed by IE to patrol the carpark.

'When I phoned up about it I was told the ticket is void if it is not on the dashbboard yet it doesn't say that at the paystation and there is no sticky back on it to ensure it stays where it is placed.

'I cannot afford to have an extra € 125 on my credit card as you can imagine, especially when I already pay almost € 200 a month to use the train and a further € 32 to use the carpark facilities.' Fiona said she took her own photos of the car after it was clamped which clearly show the ticket was in full view at the time.

'They told me I can appeal the decision but I have spoken to a number of people who have had a similar experience to mine, appealed the decision and received a standard response to say their appeal had failed. I haven't spoken to anyone who managed to get their money back,' she said.

When contacted by the Drogheda Independent, NCPS would not comment on the incident.

Barry Kenny of Iarnrod Eireann said the onus was on each individual when leaving their car to make sure the ticket was clearly visible on the dashboard.

'I don't think it is reasonable to ask the parking attendants to go searching for a ticket that has blown off the dashboard,' he said. 'How many cars are parked there? They can't go searching for a ticket.

'People should be more than capable of closing the door and checking the ticket is on the dashboard, it isn't that onerous a task.'

Mr Kenny also claimed it would not be economically viable for Iarnrod Eireann to monitor the carpark themselves.

'They are a specialist parking management company and they do the job very well,' he said. 'It is far more efficient to go with NCPS than to set up an operation ourselves.'

- Fiona MAGENNIS