BY AILEEN MURPHY
An apology has been issued to Fermanagh people about the alleged actions and attitude of Traffic Attendants working in the County, and the Department of Regional Development (DRD) have also said they will investigate the manner in which the 'Redcoats' are carrying out their daily business.
The apology, issued by Chris Galbraith from the DRD's Roads Service, came at a public meeting to address the problems of traffic management and enforcement in Fermanagh. A large crowd of business owners and residents from right across the County attended the meeting to make their feelings heard.
And time and time again the same phrases cropped up, be it in Enniskillen, Lisnaskea, or Irvinestown, Traffic Attendants were criticised for their 'aggressive' approach. The 'Redcoats' were labelled as 'extremely rude', 'dismissive and argumentative' and as 'over authoritarian', with one man describing the way they act as 'predatory'.
After listening to the many criticisms of the 'Redcoats', Mr Galbraith said: "I am ashamed to hear that. This is not what we want, and if that is what is happening I apologise." Mr Galbraith also admitted he had found the meeting 'quite harrowing' and that he was 'flabbergasted' by the responses he had just heard from the floor. ú
He said he intended to speak to National Car Parking (NCP), who supply the Traffic Attendants, and investigate the allegations.
Jason McFadden from NCP said his company does have a disciplinary procedure and he urged members of the public to make their complaints in writing and to try and include the number of the Traffic Attendant in question. The complaint can then be investigated.
The meeting became heated at times, and the visiting panel also heard business owners in all Fermanagh's main town appeal for the Roads Service to work with them over parking problems and the issue of enforcement.
In particular, traders in Enniskillen explained they believed the current manner in which the town is being managed is draining the lifeblood out of the County town. They felt that many customers and tourists were actually 'afraid' to come to Enniskillen in case they parked in the wrong place and encountered the 'unhelpful Redcoats'.
Traders argued that Enniskillen is 'unique' because of the number of independent and family-run businesses which still occupy the town centre. They said the current situation has been exasperated by the recent edge-of-town developments which, they believe, are drawing shoppers away from the town centre and, significantly, which are able to offer free parking to customers.
However, there was little in the way of a solution offered by Roads Service with regards the lack of parking spaces to serve the Town centre.
The final blow arrived when Colm McElholm from Roads Service revealed that not only will his Department not consider erecting multi-storey car parks in Enniskillen, but they also have plans to make the free parking facility at Queen Street in Enniskillen a 'pay and display' park, creating further problems for workers in the town.
The meeting finally concluded with Roads Service agreeing to meet with representatives from Enniskillen, Lisnaskea, Irvinestown, and Tempo to look at the problems specific to each area with a view to try and reach a solution to the current deadlock.
