Sir, – Further to "'Look, the place is empty' – rise in parking charges hits Ranelagh businesses", News, July 16th, I disagree with the notion that an increase, the first in over a decade, in parking fees is impacting upon businesses in Ranelagh in the way described.
I walk, cycle or take the bus to work via Ranelagh daily, and observe it to be a bustling village, with well-patronised restaurants, cafés and bars. I also see that the long-abandoned retail unit on the corner of Chelmsford Road is shortly opening as a Persian restaurant, leaving only a couple of retail units in the village lying idle.
While traffic can be bad, and parking is in limited supply, you fail to mention that businesses in Ranelagh have access to patronage beyond that of motorists. Ranelagh is well-served by Luas and four bus routes, and is located only 2.3km from College Green, making it a half-hour walk from the city centre, or a 15-minute cycle. Other Dublin suburbs can only dream of such connectivity and the associated footfall for its businesses.
Perhaps if a business is struggling in a vibrant urban village like Ranelagh, the issue is not so much an increase in parking charges, but other factors. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD TALBOT,
Dublin 6.