Crackdown on parking at Craigavon hospital

Officials said the new enforcement arrangements at Craigavon Area Hospital had been introduced in response to a parking survey at the site.

A licensed car parking contractor will be patrolling the Craigavon site and will issue Parking Charge Notices (CPN) to drivers parked inappropriately.

The CPN fee will be set at £60 or £40 if paid within 14 days – in line with recommendations from the British Parking Association Code of Practice. Clamping or towing may also be applied.

Enforcement will apply from the Lurgan Road entrance along the main hospital avenue and around the front of the main hospital along the blue light route and include the drop off zones.

Enforcement will also apply to vehicles parked in disabled spaces throughout the site without displaying a valid blue badge.

This new arrangement is being introduced in response to ongoing traffic issues around the site as Esther Gishkori, Director of Acute Services for the Southern Trust explained: “Those familiar with our busy hospital sites will be very well aware of the ongoing issues with car parking and traffic congestion. “We have been reviewing traffic management across all of our hospitals and are introducing a number of measures to improve parking and ease congestion.

“Our recent car parking survey indicated support for enforcement to help prevent abuse of disabled spaces and red zones. Even when there are spaces available, cars are still parking inappropriately and in disabled spaces without displaying a blue badge.

“It is absolutely vital that we protect emergency routes and allow ease of drop off for those who need to access the hospital.

“We hope that the introduction of enforcement will deter people from parking inappropriately, help to improve congestion and provide a safer, more accessible environment for everyone using the site.”

The situation will be kept under review and these arrangements may be extended to other parts of the Craigavon site and to other Trust sites.