It won’t come as a huge surprise that Dublin City Council reported a drop in the number of vehicles it clamped during 2020. The pandemic lockdown saw a considerable reduction in traffic in the city, with many busy streets appearing deserted. Still, a total of 35,594 vehicles were clamped during 2020, a decline on the 45,958 that were clamped in 2019.
This reduction meant a drop of nearly €1 million year in revenue for Dublin City Council in 2020. The total amount collected from clamping is reported at €2,412,960 for the year. In 2019 that figure totalled €3,314,000.
Dublin 2 saw the most clampings
The figures show that Clarendon Street in Dublin 2 was the number one spot for being clamped. More than 800 vehicles were clamped here during 2020. The street that runs parallel to Grafton Street is busy with commercial vehicles serving the surrounding area. Ranking in second place on the list of most-clamped places in Dublin was Capel Street. A total of 416 vehicles were clamped there during 2020.
The top 10 clamping locations in Dublin during 2020
-
Clarendon Street
-
Capel Street
-
Ranelagh
-
South Circular Road
-
Chelmsford Road
-
Mespil Road
-
Merrion Square North
-
Parnell Street
-
Waterloo Road
-
South William Street
A report in The Journal also stated that the most common reason for vehicles being clamped during 2020 was for not paying to park. Having a valid parking period expire was the second most common reason, followed by parking in a clearway.
A total of 1,187 vehicles were clamped for parking in a bus lane, while 1,925 vehicles were clamped for parking on a public footpath. In both instances, some could deem that clamping the vehicles could compound the problem, prolonging the vehicle remaining an obstruction.
Earlier this year Dublin City Council introduced a pilot scheme for fixed penalty notices to be issued on the spot for vehicles parked illegally in certain locations. This pilot is in addition to the existing clamping, removal and relocation of illegally parked cars. Dublin Street Parking Services carry out the parking enforcement for Dublin City Council.