Car Parking at DkIT

As of December 2023 , the Institute has 4 number charging points for electric vehicles. These are located in car park number 9, the free to all carpark.. The EV points are intended for the use of staff and students of the Institute. The charging points will not be advertised on public maps or websites. This is to ensure that the Charge Points are available to Institute staff and students only, and this will assist with the Institutes Sustainable Traffic Management Plan, however it may be that members of the public not associated with the Institute will use the charge points and there is no system to prevent this occurring. 

It is intended that the EV charge points are intended solely for the use of Electric Vehicles that are charging their batteries. It is not intended as a space for Electric or any other vehicles “to park”. 

The cost of charging the vehicles is set out at the charge station. This charge is 56 cent per kWh and is based on other charging station rates in the Dundalk area. The Institute as a public body cannot provide free or subsidised electricity to staff, students or the public. The charge rates are set to local rates to ensure that there is not overuse of the chargers (eg if the rates were significantly less, then use by the public would increase and this could affect availability.). The charge rate of 56 cent per kwh is based on local rates at the time of writing ,i.e. December 2023. The rates may vary from time to time and will not necessarily be reflected in this FAQ. 

Once a vehicle is charged or the session ends, there is a grace period of 30 mins during which the user of the charge point, must remove their vehicle. This is in order to ensure that charging points are free for EV’s to charge. If after the 30 min grace period the vehicle is still in place and plugged in then a €2/hour charge will be applied for every hour or part thereof that the vehicle is parked and plugged in. This is known as a demand management charge and it is intended that persons whose vehicles are fully charged will be dissuaded from leaving their electric vehicles in the charging station space thus preventing other users from availing of the service. 

As part of the management of the EV points , any vehicle that is parked in the EV space and is not plugged in to a charger will be clamped, for the avoidance of doubt ,this rule applies to electric vehicles as well. Signage will be displayed at the EV charge points indicating that non charging vehicles will be clamped. This is to ensure that the EV charging spaces are used for EV charging and not as parking spaces. 

A user of the charge point must find a car parking space once their charge is complete or otherwise stay plugged in and pay €2 per hour. Users of the charger may ask ,where can they park their vehicle once they have completed the charging process, the answer to this situation is the same as the answer to question number 9. 

The EV Chargers use a system for use , operation and payment called Charge-point. To use the EV charge points ,users must register at

www.chargepoint.com

Details on use and fees will be at the above link. 

Please note that any matters arising with respect to charging, billing and operation of the chargers should be addressed to chargepoint via their customer helpdesk. The Institute has no ability to address these matters. 

Users of the EV Charging stations should note that there is a method of circumventing the charging system and effectively parking in the EV charging station without electrically charging the vehicle and without paying any fee for staying in the space, all the while appearing as if legitimately using the space. EV users can plug in their vehicle ,log on to pay and then immediately cancel the log in. At this stage a message will appear on the EV Charging screen requesting the user to “return plug” , see photo hereunder. The charge indicator light remains in an unavailable state while this message displays. The charger will remain in this state for as long as the vehicle remains plugged in ,without any charging cost or overstay fee. This is of course an abuse of the charging space which is strictly for the use of charging vehicles and not for vehicle parking. It also deprives the use of the charging space for a person who may need it.This is very inconsiderate behaviour towards other EV owners. The enforcement company will now be inspecting the EV chargers and any vehicle in this condition will be clamped.

The answer is NO. A staff virtual permit only entitles the holder to park in Staff carpark 1 and Staff carpark 8, for free. A staff member must pay in the Pay & Display carparks otherwise, they will be clamped.

There is some anecdotal evidence that commuters are parking in Institute carpark number 9 and travelling to Dublin on the bus each day: There is considerable reporting of this with respect to Car Park 9 which is a free to all car park. Car park 9 has 104 spaces of the Institutes 1384 spaces. This seems to cause considerable angst and annoyance among some patrons as it is felt that commuters are availing of free parking that patrons should only be able to avail of. There are many ideas forwarded to the Institute to solve this matter. Some of these are set out below. 

1. Introduce a permit system: A permit system could be developed that would require data such as name of applicant, type of car, reg. number and evidence that applicant is a student of the Institute. Rules would be developed with respect to who is eligible for a permit, fulltime, part-time, apprentice etc… The car park would require patrolling on a regular basis and a penalty of clamping would be introduced to those cars not registered on the system. This system would require a massive administrative input and on the ground patrolling and therefore would be very expensive for a very small Institute return (i.e. the micro management of 104 spaces). The system could be funded by a charge to apply for a permit but of course the issue and ownership of a permit would not imply a right to a space as all carparks are on a first come basis. The system could be worked around very easily by someone who is intent on parking in the carpark, in which case the system would be superfluous.
2. Have a full time security guard on campus guarding the carpark and admitting only persons who have appropriate ID, either a staff card or student card to the car park. This would require the installation of barriers and a security hut. A re-current cost of approximately €50,000 per annum and a capital cost of approximately €30,000. This is an expensive option and also is not available due to Health & Safety reasons related to car-park barriers impeding traffic flow. This solution is also an adversarial solution and may lead to negative behaviour at the ingress point, it is therefore not a long term sustainable solution and again is a large expense to micro manage 104 spaces.
3. In the event of the previous 2 solutions being introduced any commuter could simply move to a Pay & Display car park and pay €8 euro per week or simply park in the DkIT Sport Carpark which is free and walk to the Institute. So the matter of commuters parking on the campus would still occur. However not withstanding this if Carpark 9 became a Pay & Display Carpark then the matter of angst and annoyance to patrons would not occur.
4. Place signage to denote that the car park is for students and staff only. A sign was erected in 2016 to denote this but has proven to be superfluous. Signage in particular with respect to parking has proven to be totally ineffective, hence the introduction of clamping.
5. The Institute gates could be closed and opened at a set time everyday so that commuters cannot use the car park. This would require continuous management and also a call out system for cars that are locked into the carpark. For example if a student or staff members car is inadvertently, through no fault of their own, locked into a carpark of the Institute then a demand for a call out system would be created to open the gates. A call out system would be expensive to operate and man. Also the Institute gates would have to remain fully closed until at least 8.00am which may cause difficulties for Institute staff and students alike and create traffic management difficulties on the main public roads bounding the Institute campus. 

Conclusion: The most appropriate solution is to introduce Pay & Display to car park number 9 as this would eliminate the angst and sense of injustice felt by some patrons towards commuters using this free carpark. No decision has been made with respect to this.

It is approximately 1172 metres and can be walked in 12 mins at a speed of 5.86 km/hour (3.64mph). 

All staff were informed of the proposed study by way of e-mail questionnaire and within this questionnaire were asked for comments. The Governing Body were fully informed of the completed study and indeed have adopted a plan which is a direct result of the findings of the report.

As in the current situation, planning and resources restrict the Institute, and it will never be possible to obtain a 1:1 car /parking norm. New Car parks once built tend to fill up quickly and leave the organisation back at square one, particularly in the present economic climate where car ownership levels have increased dramatically.

It is important to define official Institute vehicles (OIVs) as vehicles complying with all three of the following tests: 

1. The vehicle must be owned by the Institute.
2. The vehicle must be commercially insured by the Institute.
3. The vehicle must bear the standard size official logo of the Institute. 

Institute vehicles may park anywhere on campus and are not subject to the policy.

Parking in a non designated space causes a number of problems some of which are listed below, obstruction of fire exit routes, obstruction of access to fire hydrant locations, obstruction of fire-fighter's access and hose runs, security, obstruction of universal access including for wheelchair users and visually impaired, disruption to deliveries, disruption of waste disposal, maintenance access, aesthetics, physical damage to Landscaping, Health and Safety risks due to obstructed vision and sight lines. Therefore, parking in an unmarked area, while in a seemingly correct fashion may cause significant difficulties for others. Vehicles infringing the rule "Park only in marked carparking spaces and do not park elsewhere" are liable to be clamped.

The above arrangements form the next step in the parking management system, and the operation of the system is under constant review. General enquiries and suggestions can be sent to “Parking” APCOA, 6 Mount Street Crescent, Dublin 2, or e-mail [email protected].

The above arrangements form the next step in the parking management system, and the operation of the system is under constant review. General enquiries and suggestions can be sent to “Parking” APCOA, 6 Mount Street Crescent, Dublin 2, or e-mail [email protected].

ARUP Consulting Engineers were appointed by the Institute to carry out a study/report for a “Sustainable Traffic Management Strategy & Implementation Programme”. This study was requested based on seemingly apparent difficulties with traffic management around the campus. A large variety of information was gathered and analysed by ARUP, including staff and student travel profiles, GIS data, and traffic routes analysis. The entire report is available to view on the Institute's website. 

This policy is a direct result of the findings of this report and was approved by the Governing Body in July 2006.

There are approximately 1384 car park spaces available to the Institute, and 21 will be allocated for visitor car parking. These are located between the Regional Development Centre and the North Building via Carpark 3. Booking of these spaces is on a first-come, first-served basis and is operated through the Institute Schools. As a visitor, you can request a visitor parking space with the person you intend to visit. Booking should go through the School or the Functional Department. Please provide your car registration details and your mobile number. Before your arrival, a PIN number will be sent to you. With this PIN number, you are able to enter the visitor car parking space through the barrier. Reception staff have no input to the visitor parking or operation of barriers.

Drivers of vehicles requiring the use of universally accessible parking bays may only do so if their vehicle displays a valid and registered "blue badge". Universally accessible bays are marked with a sign on the ground and/or on a nearby pole. If drivers display a blue badge, they may use these bays free. The Road Traffic Regulations, 1997, governs the issue of disabled persons' parking permits in Ireland. Local Authorities, the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Disabled Drivers Association issue the permits. Permits are granted to all eligible disabled persons, irrespective of whether they are drivers or not, and they have National application. Any person who is suffering from a disability that prevents that person from walking or causes undue hardship in walking is eligible for a permit. For those permits not issued by the above agencies, the displayed permit must comply fully with EU recommendation (98/376/EC), which allows for its recognition in other EU member States. There are many bays dispersed throughout the campus.

As is the current situation, drivers leaving the campus, even on official Institute business, may find difficulty in obtaining a parking space on return. This situation is the same for persons who are charging their electric vehicles, and once charged, must move their vehicles to a car parking space. There may be no car parking space available on campus. There are generally spaces available in the DkIT Sport Campus.

Any vehicle not within a designated parking space at any time will be clamped i.e. 24 hrs / day 365 days per year. Clamping of vehicles without a valid Pay & Display ticket will be in operation during the period 1st September to June 20th each year, weekdays only from 08.00hrs – 18.00hrs. There will be no requirement for Pay & Display between the period 21st June to 31st August each year, however cars not within a designated parking space at any time will be clamped.

The staff car parks are Number 1 and Number 8 immediately adjacent the main entrance gates, will be free to cars that are registered as staff vehicles. To register as a staff vehicle staff are required to register on an annual basis via the car park management website www.apcoa.ie. A valid Staff Payroll Number is required. Vehicles not registered with NCPS will be clamped. Cars parked within the staff carpark but not in a designated bay will be clamped whether registered or not. Staff are entitled to two virtual registrations but may only park one vehicle at a time.

Staff, students and visitors alike must pay for and display a valid ticket in P&D areas, which can be purchased from the nearby machines. The Pay & Display areas are Carparks 2,3,4,6 and 7. The 21 visitor spaces are not Pay& Display. Other cashless methods of payment are available. Please see signage in carparks.

Staff, students and visitors alike must pay for and display a valid ticket in P&D areas, which can be purchased from the nearby machines. The Pay & Display areas are Carparks 2,3,4,6 and 7. The 21 visitor spaces are not Pay& Display. Other cashless methods of payment are available. Please see signage in carparks.

The clamping policy has been in force since February 2007. The Pay & Display policy was implemented on the 1st September 2008 to the following carparks, 2,3,4,6,7. Car park 9 and DkIT Sport Carpark is free to all staff and students alike. Staff Car parks number 1 and 8 will remain as free Staff Only Car parks.

The new car parking policy is as follows,

1. Park only in marked parking spaces and entirely within the space as marked.
2. Do not park elsewhere.
3. Any car that is not parked in a designated car parking space is liable to be
   clamped.
4. The unclamping fee is €60.
5. From 1st September 2008 a proportion of spaces at the Institute will be subject to a Pay & Display rate of 30c/hour or €2/day or €8/week. These charges are being introduced as “Demand Management Charges”. They are not intended to create a revenue stream for the Institute but rather to encourage a modal transport shift within the staff and student population.
6. Any car not displaying a valid pay and display ticket is liable to be clamped. The payment of a daily or weekly rate does not guarantee a space.
7. Other terms and conditions are set out in the FAQ Car parking (i.e. this document)

The Institute has increased spaces available from 531 in 2001 to its current level of 1384 in 2022. No additional spaces will be made available in the short term. This is due to An Bord Pleanala restrictions and fiscal constraints.

Should you have any grievance with the circumstances in which the clamp was applied, you may appeal by following the procedure below.

1. A person may go to www.apcoa.ie and enter their car registration and ticket number - this will show them photos of their vehicle and why it was clamped.
2. They may then choose to continue to appeal or not 
   Appeals will only be accepted via the on-line system.

APCOA cannot consider the following as valid reasons for an appeal:

• Being late for work/lectures
• Inability to find a parking space
• Lack of knowledge of the system
• Disagreement with the principles of the system  

Please follow the instructions for the release of the vehicle wheel clamp, enclosed with the infringement notice attached to your vehicle. The telephone number for the release of your vehicle is 0818 555 000.