Nearly 68 percent of Irish motorists say they are opposed to the new €200 parking levy planned for Irish cities this summer with just 25.6 percent of motorists in favour of the idea.
The results are based on a poll of over 1,500 motorists carried out by AA Ireland.
An initial pilot period is scheduled for workers who benefit from free parking spaces in Dublin city centre within the North and South Circular Roads. There will be exemptions in areas where there are no regular public transport links at present. It is proposed to roll out the levy to other urban centres around the country over the next twelve months.
The Levy has been described as "a very poor idea" by AA Ireland Director of Policy, Conor Faughnan. A strong case against the levy since it was introduced in the October 2008 budget was what a reliable public transport system was not available as a viable alternative to driving to work. The fact that the levy is being charged on an annual basis rather than a "per use" basis will encourage people who have paid it to take full value of it.
Unsurprisingly, opposition to the levy was stronger among those who were directly affected by it. Of the 330 respondents to the poll who worked in Dublin and had a parking space provided by their employer, 84 percent were against the levy. However, 65 percent of drivers who were not affected personally also opposed the idea.
The online poll was carried out by the AA between 28 May and 01 June 2010. A total of 1,567 motorists countrywide took part. Overall, 67.8 percent of respondents said they were against the levy, while 25.6 percent said they were in favour.