Parking Protest Unites Communities

In a highly unusual and probably unique show of non-sectarian co-operation, residents in the strongly republican Markets area and the staunchly loyalist Donegall Pass areas of Belfast have united to protest over city commuters parking all day on their streets.

Where parades and other issues have frequently led to bitter street confrontation and occasional violence, 'orange' and 'green' protestors have today illegally set out blockades to limit access to their areas to just local people and emergency services.

They said they are angry that people who do not live locally block their streets to essential services.

Last week, the Stormont Government launched proposals for a residents-only scheme to end the 'scourge' of all-day parking, but the scheme would mean residents in the five 'pilot' areas having to pay £40 for an annual permit - to park at their own homes.

This has angered some people who believe they should not pay for a problem which is not of their making prompting NI Roads Minister Conor Murphy to say that "sorting out the issue would incur costs" and noting that the plan is only out to consultation and will therefore only proceed if it gets majority approval in the areas where it is planned.

However, as reported by the BBC today, Ken Orr, a community worker in Donegall Pass, said: "People are protesting against the rampant commuter parking. It's been going on for years and years.

"They are blocking access to emergency vehicles, essential services, they're parked on the pavements. They are making the roads much narrower than they need be. You can't even park your own car in the area because of commuters."

In the nearby republican Markets area, a spokewoman also slammed the all-day parking.

She said in the past emergency services could not get through the streets and claimed that, recently, some bins could not be emptied because of the commuter car problem.

Deirdre Hargey, Chair of the Markets Development Association, said: "Inner city working class communities are mainly affected by this issue.

"This is an issue of health and safety, you cannot play with people's lives."

Meanwhile, police did attend the protests for a time, but then left, despite the blockages being illegal.

A police spokesman said they were aware of a number of protests in south Belfast and were monitoring the situation.

(BMcC)