Kilkenny TD calls for an end to motorway parking chaos

Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, Peter 'Chap' Cleere, has called on Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien and his department to provide dedicated parking at motorway junctions along the M9 in counties Kilkenny and Carlow, claiming it has become a 'big issue' for local commuters.

According to Deputy Cleere, this will allow commuters to park their cars in safety, share a lift to work and reduce the number of cars on the road.

"It's a really big issue in Mullinavat, Knocktopher, Danesfort, Paulstown and even up further towards the Castledermot side (of the motorway)," the local TD told Kilkenny Live.

"You could have up to 40 cars parked there every day and their cars are left parked vulnerably on the side of the road and it's a health and safety issue but there's also a lack of protection for those cars," he added.

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The Skeogh native strongly believes that an area should be made available where drivers can park safely for free, adding, the priority should be safety and any new measures shouldn't be in aid of a 'money making machine'.

The additional parking spaces will give drivers a greater 'peace of mind' in Mr Cleere's view.

"As it stands it's a huge danger," he commented.

"For example, in Tinryland, drivers can park in the GAA club but in Danesfort they're parked 20, 25 abreast along that motorway and it's not safe."

"I'm surprised it hasn't happened by now because we're in an era where we're trying to encourage people to look at their carbon footprint and people are doing the right thing in the main, travelling in groups to work in Dublin for example but they're taking a risk leaving their cars where it is from a safety perspective so I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet, I'm disappointed it hasn't happened yet but I'm going to work really hard to try and get this over the line," the Carlow-Kilkenny TD pledged.

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