A Wheely Big Problem: Campervan chaos in West Waterford
This is not the first time bad behaviour by campervan owners was raised in Waterford. Stock Image.
Campervan drivers behaving badly was on the agenda again at the July sitting of the Dungarvan-Lismore District Council.
Councillor Joe O’Riordan told officials that visitors are parking campervans on footpaths, dumping household waste in public bins and avoiding paying for appropriate parking.
He said when it comes to the area's beauty spots, campervans are parked in car and bus spaces.
“They are there for the enjoyment of the people of Dungarvan and the surrounding area.
“They are not there for people coming down and spending a week there parking everywhere over grass verges and footpaths, and I just think we really need to reexamine this again because it wouldn’t happen in any other town in Ireland, only in Dungarvan,” said Cllr O’Riordan.
Cllr O’Riordan asked if the council are issuing fines for this behaviour.
Additionally, he said that he heard on the radio that campervan drivers do not pay for parking at Quanns.
He said that because council workers don’t work weekends, there is nobody to inspect the sites.
He asked if campervan parking is monitored.
“There are campervans parked up on the seawall side. They are driving up and parking caravans there and hitching caravans there, and anybody coming down there with a buggy or a wheelchair has to go back and come back all the way down the middle of the road.
“I spoke to the gardaí about it. They feel the council should put a barrier on the lip of the kerb on the right-hand side that will stop campervans from parking over the footpaths, and then they can come down and move them on because they are parked in the middle of the road,” said Cllr O’Riordan.
The councillor suggested new campervan parking be established to combat the problem.
Director of Services for Roads Gabriel Hynes said parking on footpaths is illegal and both the council and the gardaí can issue fines.
In relation to the establishment of more parking, Mr Hynes said: “We can certainly look at the site in Dungarvan, but what we would like to encourage is the private campervans to be developed where possible.”
