Simon Kennedy from SD Kells and Bryan Graham from Graham Menswear are unhappy with the current parking situation in Enniskillen.
MORE needs to be done to promote the one pound parking scheme rolled out by the department of regional development, according to traders.
The scheme, launched on a trail basis back in April of this year, gives customers the option of paying a pound for five hours parking in the county’s car parks.
But, while praising the scheme, local retailers have said that more needs to be done to promote it especially in the run up to Christmas.
Simon Kennedy of SD Kells on Church Street, described car parking as ‘probably one of the negative points of coming to Enniskillen to shop’.
“The car parks are doing five hours for a pound which is great to see but maybe it’s not being publicised enough,” he said, “I feel people are appreciating that they can park for a pound for five hours not enough are aware. People also tell me if you put £1.20 in you only get an hour’s parking.”
Similarly, Bryan Graham of Graham Enniskillen, on High Street, said he would welcome a ‘free parking’ promotion in the run up to Christmas.
He also questioned the advertising of the ‘one pound parking’ scheme.
“At the present time there’s an offer of five hours for a pound but very few people know about it. The little sign is about twice the size of the palm of your hand. They’re nearly saying we’re doing this but we don’t want too many to use it,” he told the Fermanagh Herald.
“I’d love to see signs on the approach roads to the town, where it says ‘Fermanagh Welcomes You Naturally’. But there’s a lot of red tape with putting a sign up – this is the sort of area where government could help business, facilitating things like that.”
Mr Graham who is a member of the Enniskillen Business Partnership, said that the group was hoping to implement a free parking scheme in the run up to Christmas.
“The business partnership was working on an idea of trying to fund free parking but apparently there isn’t the funding here for it. Apparently in Dungannon the council funded it. That’s what we would like to see.”
He also spoke about traffic wardens ‘taking a new role’.
“With regard to the red coats as they’re commonly called, I’d like to see a change in the way they operate.
“There are plenty of days here where the car parks are nearly empty – I’d like them to take a new role, an advisory capacity. Maybe someday they’d call them ‘parking angels’, where they’d come up to visitors and explain the parking regulations instead of waiting on them to get out of the car and ten minutes later putting a ticket on them.
“The pressure on parking isn’t as severe and I think the guys with the red sweaters could be more positive and helpful.”
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