BY AILEEN MURPHY
Tempers were frayed and emotions running high as a large crowd gathered at the Townhall in Enniskillen on Monday morning to tackle the ongoing problems of traffic management and enforcement in the County.
The business community, concerned members of the public, and elected representatives were all in attendance to make their views felt to representatives of the Department of Regional Development's (DRD) Roads Services and National Car Parks (NCP). And, by the conclusion of the two hour meeting, the Department representatives were left in no doubt about the strength of feeling across Fermanagh. As a result one of the DRD spokesmen actually apologised for the behaviour of the 'Redcoats'.
In particular, one issue of concern was raised by speaker after speaker, that was the 'ignorant' attitude of some of the Traffic Attendants who patrol the streets of the streets of the County.
Malcolm Sloan, an Enniskillen businessman, stressed traders are in no way opposed to enforcement of traffic restrictions in the town, but he said they did object to the manner in which it is being carried out.
He said what made Enniskillen 'unique' was the number of independent traders who still occupied the town centre. Everyone appreciated there is a need for restrictions to allow better through put of traffic through the town, and added, 'this should be too our advantage'.
Mr Sloan said the 'aggressive' manner adopted by the 'Redcoats' had already cost the town a number of visitors and customers. He called for traders to be given some input into the enforcement of traffic management, and he urged that matters must be urgently addressed before more damage is done.
Concluding, he urged the Department to work with traders: "Rules are made for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wisemen.' And, he warned he intended to "take this matter as far as we possibly can."
Heather Humphries, who works in the Cancer Research Shop in Townhall Street, Enniskillen related the difficulties those donating goods, as well as delivery drivers, had trying to get parked near the shop.
Further down the street, Sam Foster raised difficulties faced by shops on Belmore Street, in particular a butcher's which has difficulty getting deliveries due to traffic attendants, who he described 'as over authoritarian'.
Donal McGovern, an optician in Enniskillen complained there were 'certain ambiguities' over who was responsible for the traffic attendants for, when a complaint was lodged, it was passed between NCP and the Roads Service. He described traffic attendants in the town as 'extremely rude', and he claimed Roads Service were washing their hands of the matter, insisting they were NCP staff.
Paul Nolan spoke vocally over his concerns regarding the treatment of disabled badge holders. In particular, he recalled one 'sinister situation' where a particular traffic attendant has told him 'They (blue badge holders) will park where I want, when I want, and for as long as I want'.
HARASSED
Mr Nolan added: "If anyone in my business gave one percent of the disrespect to the members of the public that the Redcoats do, they wouldn't have a job." Concluding, he stressed the need for more disabled parking in the town, adding, 'Blue Badge holders need to be protected not harassed."
Frankie Rooney said what he found really worrying was the fact the Redcoats are being "trained to be dismissive and argumentative."
Paddy Gillen, another Enniskillen businessman, commented: "Customers seem to be in fear of their lives that they will stay too long. There just isn't adequate provision for car parking in the town, and that's the major problem. Most people want to park legally but they are being forced to park where they should not be because the car parks are full."
Responding to the criticisms were Roads Service representatives, Colm McElholm, a traffic engineer; and Christopher Galbraith, Contract Manager with Parking Enforcement, along with NCP representative, Jason McFadden.
Mr McElholm accepted there was an issue with car parks in Enniskillen, explaining that they regularly operate at 82 percent occupancy.
He said Road Service are looking at ways to address this, explaining they had identified an extra 40 pay and display spaces in the town. However, he explained they are also looking at making some of the free car parks, into pay spaces, and he indicated this would be happening to the free car park at Queen Street in the near future.
This was met with objections from the public, with Dermot McManus criticising Roads Service for pushing workers further out from the town.
Following a suggestion from the floor that what was needed in Enniskillen is 'at least three multi-storey car parks', Mr McElholm explained Roads Service would not be developing any multi-storey car parks. He explained that this would require a developer to come on board to initiate such plans, as was the case in the Eden Street Car Park which will include a multi-storey.
Reggie Ferguson, an Enniskillen solicitor, claimed the DRD had 'sold out to a private opportunist - NCP'. He said NCP's objective was to make money, and that is why there now exists this 'police state enforcement' and 'real harassment'.
Mr Galbraith of the DRD, in his response to the claims of harassment from the Redcoats, drew awe from the crowd when he said he was 'flabbergasted' by the stories he had just heard concerning the actions and attitudes of the Traffic Attendants in Enniskillen.
"I am ashamed to hear that," he said "This is not what we want, and if that is what is happening I apologise."
The crowd however asked him if he did not read newspapers and pointed out the disproportionately high numbers of parking tickets issued in Enniskillen. With the town falling just behind Belfast and Derry in the number of tickets given out in the town.
Mr Galbraith did answer a few of the criticisms, in particular he denied NCP staff are paid on a bonus basis: "There is no financial incentive, it just doesn't happen'. He said the aim of Roads Service was to prevent people parking illegally, not to catch them.
Mr McFadden from NCP said the allegations that staff were 'discourteous and aggressive' is unacceptable. And he appealed for the public to write to them detailing their complaints, particularly if they can provide the Traffic Attendant's identity number.
Pat Lunny highlighted the fact that anyone who received a parking ticket and did not respond to it 'is criminalising themselves' and could end up in court. He added: "The reason people are so afraid of the getting caught is because they are not criminals."
Drawing the meeting to a close, Rodney Connor, Chief Executive of Fermanagh District Council identified a number of issues arising out of the meeting that, there are not enough car parking spaces in Enniskillen; that the existing infrastructure in the town is not adequate; and finally and most worryingly, he said, the 'performance and attitude' of the NCP staff.
In conclusion, the DRD and NCP representatives said they would be discussing immediately the concerns raised and investigating the allegations. It was decided a delegation of traders in Enniskillen would meet with the representatives next Wednesday and report back on the 10 February.
