Visitors to the countryside are being urged to park responsibly and use official parking.

With the country’s green spaces and beauty spots attracting more visitors as the summer approaches and travel restrictions are eased, road safety officials are reminding people not to cause any obstruction when parking.

Countryside visitors should be aware of ‘inconsiderate’ parking

According to Mayo County Council’s road safety officer Noel Gibbons, poor and inconsiderate parking not only causes problems for emergency vehicles, but it can lead to inconvenience for other road users and pedestrians, along with harming wildlife and the countryside itself.

He advises: “People should only park in official carparks and parking spaces and should not park on grass verges or block roads.

“Inconsiderate parking has caused considerable obstructions on roads, which can make it difficult for emergency vehicles and farm traffic to pass to conduct their livelihood.

“If you are visiting the countryside, please consider the people who live there as well as other visitors.”

‘More bins, less blame’

As the country looks forward to an outdoor summer and with more and more people appreciating their locality, a “common sense approach to tackle increased littering” is being called for.

Labour Senator Mark Wall said that local councils must be empowered to prosecute littering and illegal dumping which will serve as a deterrent, but the public must have access to better facilities to dispose of their waste.

“Lockdown and restrictions have shown us all the beauty of our communities under our nose all this time,” the senator said.

“We’re enjoying watching the seasons change, hearing the birds singing and actually stopping to smelling the roses.

“People want to enjoy their community, the parks and the public spaces they have, so it is even extra disappointing to see it destroyed by litter when the sun comes out.

“That said, it’s no surprise to see bins flooding with waste as there are simply not enough bins in communities throughout the country, an issue that should be addressed without delay.”