Dublin City Council (DCC) earned over €2.6 million from clamping release fees during the first nine months of 2018, it has emerged.
Figures released to thecity.ie show that DCC handed out 33,799 parking fines between January 1st and September 1st, 2018.
With the standard fine for illegal parking in Dublin City set at €80, the council collected an estimated €2,647,840 but offered refunds or partial refunds on 929 occasions leaving the total sum of fines collected for the period at €2,629,600.
The southside features more prominently within the top ten clamping hotspots in the capital, with the council keeping a watchful eye on the city’s busiest streets.
Merrion Square is the city centre location where vehicles are most likely to be clamped, with 1,062 fines issued in this area, totalling to a sum collected of €84,960.
Fitzwilliam Square proves to be the second most notorious clamping hotspot, with 625 offences committed and €50,000 claimed in fines.
Other busy southside spots include Mespil Road (595), South Circular Road (544), Burlington Road (407), Waterloo Road (433) and Hatch Street (376).
Across the Liffey, Gardiner Street Upper and Lower (426) proved to be the hotbed of northside clamping.
Ormond Quay (297) and Parnell Square and Street (combined 393) make up the remainder of the top ten.
Clamping appears to be rare on some of Dublin’s best-known streets, with O’Connell Street (0), Grafton Street (19), Dame Street (12) and Henry Street (5), registering few offences.
The most common reasons for fines include: no valid paid parking (7,638), pay and display tickets expired by more than ten minutes (6,178), parking in permit-only areas (4,755), loading bay offences (2,440), parking on footpaths (1,874), parking within five metres of a road junction, (1,245), and parking on a double yellow line (1,035).
Medical emergencies and compassionate cases make up the bulk of successful appeals, many of these in Parnell Square, which is adjacent to the Rotunda Hospital, one of Europe’s busiest maternity hospitals.
On four occasions, gardaí on duty appealed fines and were successful in three of these appeals. One officer was clamped and fined for not displaying a parking ticket at Seafort Terrace in Sandymount.
Top ten clamping hotspots in Dublin City – the number of fines
Merrion Square – 1,062, North (182), South (412), East (86), West (382)
Fitzwilliam Square – 625, North (317), South (182), East (53), West (73)
Mespil Road – 595
South Circular Road – 544
Waterloo Road – 433
Gardiner Street Upper (90) and Lower (335) – 426
Burlington Road – 407
Parnell Square (288) and Street (105) – 393
Hatch Street– 376
Ormond Quay – 297
Appeals
Total – 1764 Refund (50%) – 456
Refund (Full) – 473 Unsuccessful appeals – 835