Clamping to be outlawed in Mayo town

Clamping is to be outlawed in Castlebar after local councillors agreed to introduce a byelaw banning the practice.

Cllr Michael Kilcoyne proposed the motion at the monthly meeting of Castlebar Municipal District.

He received the support of his council colleagues with a draft byelaw to be circulated in advance of the next Municipal District meeting in September.

Cllr Kilcoyne said he was prompted to make the proposal following a number of heavy-handed incidents.

“In one case a woman brought her child to the doctor. The doctor said, ‘Look, I’ll email the prescription over to the pharmacy now because they will be closing.’ She parked ran in and collected her prescription, came out and a clamp on the car and yer man standing there. She said, ‘I only went in to get a prescription,’ and he started laughing,” said Cllr Kilcoyne.

He said the clamping operation is nothing to do with the stores that are in the area. 

“It’s generating more money than some of the shops in the town,” said Cllr Kilcoyne.

He gave another example where a carer went to the pharmacy and her car was clamped while a disabled woman sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

“It’s totally wrong,” said Cllr Kilcoyne.

“It’s a nasty operation,” commented Cllr Al McDonnell.

Cllr Kilcoyne said another motorist attempted to use the paystation but it was out of order. 

She took a photograph of the malfunctioning paystation but was still clamped on her return to her vehicle.

“We shouldn’t tolerate things like that,” he added.

Cllr Al McDonnell said there is no need for clamping.

"It shouldn't be required a fine is sufficient," commented Cllr McDonnell.

Cllr Blackie Gavin said he knows of one disgruntled motorist who took matters into their own hands and removed the clamp. "He went down with the con saw and he cut the lock on the clamp. That was it and there wasn't a word about it!"