No appetite to reduce parking fees at Athy train station
The car park in question is across the road from the train station Photo: Aisling Hyland
A REDUCTION in the current €2.50 per day parking rate at Athy train station appears unlikely despite calls for lower fees to support commuters.
The matter was brought up at the most recent meeting of Athy Municipal District on 20 March, where cllr Brian Dooley asked if Kildare County Council would consider a reduction in parking fees in the council-owned car park opposite the train station.
Senior executive officer for transport, mobility and open spaces Mark McLoughlin issued the council’s written response, which cautioned that any review of the parking fees as part of the upcoming review of parking bye-law would likely lead to an increase in the fees.
The report added that because the car park is close to the town centre, it can be used by all visitors to the town and is not only for commuters.
Asked by the for comment on the council’s response, cllr Dooley said that he “wasn’t really bowled over to be honest”.
He gave his view that the council executive’s focus on the car park as one that is close to town rather than a commuter car park is a failure to “see the bigger picture” of the benefits of a reduction in fees for commuters.
Cllr Dooley further detailed that he plans to propose “a reduction completely right around the town for parking” as part of the bye-law review. He expects that the review will take place before the end of 2026 and hopes that it will take place by the third quarter of the year.
