The removal of a disabled car parking space outside the AIB in Patrick Street, Fermoy continues to be contentious.

The space was removed recently to facilitate a new two-space taxi rank. It was one of a number of recommendations which came from the traffic management sub-committee of the town council and subsequently agreed by the full council. The loss of the disabled space was highlighted to the members at the time. Now, in the face of public anger over its removal, some councillors are rowing back on the decision and are prepared to support the reinstatement of the disabled space.

Mayor Olive Corcoran said she’d been contacted by a number of disabled motorists upset at the removal of the space which they’d found very handy for accessing the bank and other town centre businesses. In view of the consequences of the removal of the space on them, she said, the council should look again at the decision. Cllr Noel McCarthy is of the same view. “If it’s causing hardship to motorists with a disability then we should look at putting it back,” he said this week.

After Fermoy Town Council agreed the decision to remove the disabled space and put in a taxi rank at that location, the matter went out to public consultation. No objections to the proposal were received at that time.

There are around 40 disabled spaces at various locations around the town, including one on Patrick Street, two in McCurtain Street, six in the library car park, two in Pearse Square and one on O’Neill Crowley Quay. Cllr McCarthy said the two disabled spaces in Pearse Square aren’t popular as motorists have to back out into traffic, a difficult enough manouevre for someone with mobility issues.
 
Town hall officials say the provision of disabled parking spaces is monitored regularly and that a study is planned of the usage patterns and quality for customers of the existing spaces.