THE news that Enniskillen will benefit from reduced parking tariffs over the Christmas period has been given the thumbs up by the retail sector.
Declan Devlin owner of 02 and Pizza Hut, Enniskillen called the parking initiative ‘a start’ and hoped it would encourage more shoppers into Enniskillen
“It definitely is a big help, but I think this is something that should not just be at Christmas, but rather should be all year round.
“You would notice the O’Neill’s Car Park opposite the Quay Lane North carpark is always full because it is £1.20 to park for the day whereas Quay Lane North is empty. People are parking further away which shows cost plays a major factor in parking.”
Jonathan Styles, of Mercers Jewellers, Enniskillen called the move a ‘really good result for Enniskillen’.
“It is something that the business partnership has been asking for some time and it is really nice to actually get somewhere with it.
“You get the feeling quite often that you are banging your head against a brick wall asking for rates to be reduced, parking prices to be reviewed and the red coats to be continually assessed for their effectiveness.
“This is very nice to see and is certainly a movement in the right direction.
“This is a huge issue, people who aren’t mobile find it hard to walk from a main carpark to the Main Street and if they’re trying to do three messages in an hour they are on the edge.
“It is very hard to sell to someone when they’re on the edge.”
Joe Kelly, chairman of Enniskillen Business Partnership believes the decision will make a “tremendous difference to the shopping experience in Enniskillen.”
To get the full benefit from the reduced Christmas rate Joe has urged all the employers and business owners in the town to encourage their staff to share lifts and not use the town centre carparks.
“The problem is that staff at these shops are going to park in the town centre and avail of the cheaper rates and reduce the amount of parking spots available to shoppers,” he said.
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