Dundrum Town Centre ?

We are fortunate to frequent places like local supermarkets, shopping centres like The Square, Liffey Valley and Blanch where parking is free so she, and most people who went for the interview, assumed it was free. The only shopping centres we've encountered that require you to pay for parking are Jervis and Arnotts but even then I don't believe they are used by just shoppers. Although they are named after shopping centres in close proximity I believe the serve the environs as well. I don't see any parallel here with Dundrum where the car park would appear to be pupose built for the shopping centre.
 
they could come to work by public transport.
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Yes, but in the real world this isn't always practically possible.

There are numerous reasons why public transport is not a viable option for some people. The quality and frequency of service; the requirement to drop children to schools, creches, etc, are just some of the factors that make it more convenient for staff in these circumstances to to use their private cars.

It's all very well advising staff not to use their cars but without offering VIABLE alternatives, the inevitable consequence is that they will continue to rely on their cars and park them as near to their work as they can for free.

And that represents an unreasonable burden on local residents.
 
There are numerous reasons why public transport is not a viable option for some people.

The corollorary of that would seem to be that it is an option for some other people, in particular some people who currently don't avail of the option. I presume that this is what Rainyday meant - and not that everybody should necessarily take public transport.
 
Hi Rainyday,

"So what's the problem? Assuming staff are advised up-front that they won't have parking, I don't see a problem here"

"Is it unreasonable to think that employees should ask these questions up front and not wait for someone else to inform them?"

I do feel that employers are well aware when recruiting that lack of parking facilities for staff will most likely be a problem for those who need to travel from far afield. IMHO they should therefore forewarn them in advance and thus save time possibly wasted for both sides. Training is costly these days.

We are all aware of the congestion and how it has come about but for somebody who is considering part-time hours it can be the difference between making money or just a break-even situation.
 
Yes, but in the real world this isn't always practically possible.

There are numerous reasons why public transport is not a viable option for some people. The quality and frequency of service; the requirement to drop children to schools, creches, etc, are just some of the factors that make it more convenient for staff in these circumstances to to use their private cars.
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Oh come on. Don't blame the children. It is possible to do the creche run on public transport. One of my colleagues brings her toddler on the LUAS with her in the morning, pushes the buggy over to the other side of the industrial estate and drops the little one in the creche before returning to work. You've actually hit the key issue when you refer to 'more convenient' - Yes, it probably is more convenient to take the car. But there is a price attached to this convenience, in terms of the environment, provision of parking, provision of road space etc. We can't keep assuming that we can always have our single-occupancy tin-box to bring us to/from work each day.

It's all very well advising staff not to use their cars but without offering VIABLE alternatives, the inevitable consequence is that they will continue to rely on their cars and park them as near to their work as they can for free.

And that represents an unreasonable burden on local residents.
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The residents problem is easily solved. As they did when the LUAS opened, they moved to residents parking permits in certain areas near the stations to prevent park & ride. This could be done in the areas surrounding the shopping centre with relative ease. I did see one car parked on a pavement near the centre on Thursday which had earned itself a nice yellow Garda parking ticket on the windscreen.

I do feel that employers are well aware when recruiting that lack of parking facilities for staff will most likely be a problem for those who need to travel from far afield. IMHO they should therefore forewarn them in advance and thus save time possibly wasted for both sides. Training is costly these days.
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I fully agree that that the employers should have highlighted this issue in advance. However, I do think there is an equal duty on the employee to ask these questions, and not wait passivly for the word to be delivered to them on a silver platter.

We are fortunate to frequent places like local supermarkets, shopping centres like The Square, Liffey Valley and Blanch where parking is free so she, and most people who went for the interview, assumed it was free. The only shopping centres we've encountered that require you to pay for parking are Jervis and Arnotts but even then I don't believe they are used by just shoppers. Although they are named after shopping centres in close proximity I believe the serve the environs as well. I don't see any parallel here with Dundrum where the car park would appear to be pupose built for the shopping centre.
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The parallel is fairly obvious. Square, Liffey Valley & Blanch - all open air parking. Jervis, Arnotts and Dundrum centre - all multi-story indoor parking (though there is one outdoor area at Dundrum). Have you ever seen any multi-story car-park anywhere in the world that was free of charge?
 
rainyday - Dunnes multistorey carpark in Cornelscourt is free of charge, but I do agree with your substantive point. Also, Frascati and Blackrock shopping centre car parks are not free and not really multi-storey.

Dundrum and Blackrock are however beside public transport facilities and presumably they charge because otherwise people would (did) use their carparks as park and ride facilities.

I could easily see that people would park in Dundrums new shopping centre and get the Luas into town if it was not chargable.

It seems illogical to me for anyone to assume there is free car parking with a job unless they are specifically told this. Would they also expect a free coke machine, or a free shower room ? All these things are nice to have, but are not essential for the job. If an employer provides them then this is (might be) good, but if they don't provide them they are not pulling a fast one on anyone.

People should remember that this centre is easily accessible by public transport. It's not as if it is miles and miles from anywhere. There are 2 Luas stops and a very good bus service covering both the routes out through Sandyford and between Tallaght and Dun Laoghaire. I would suggest that it possibly has some of the better through public transport connections of the larger shopping centres.

z
 
Have you ever seen any multi-story car-park anywhere in the world that was free of charge?
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Well there's The Square for a start ...
 
Ok - if you want to play silly buggers with semantics to avoid addressing the substantive issue, that's fine with me. I'll play silly buggers too.

Have you ever come across any shopping centre where the majority of the parking was multi-story from the time the centre opened where the multi-story parking was free?
 
That wasn't the substantive issue I raised in my post regarding the pay-for parking. I wasn't suggesting that the employer had to pay for their staff's parking costs. I was suggesting that it was a factor for many people in taking up employment because the newer shopping centres provide free parking. On that basis we assumed, along with most other interviewees, that parking would also be free here. Is that not a fair assumption?

In the end, the employer hired a city centre hotel function room to train people for the best part of a week and most of the people ended up leaving after hearing about the parking. They could have saved themselves and potential employees a lot of expense and time by indicating the situation regarding parking earlier in the interview.

If they want to charge for parking, that's fine. I've no problem with that. I don't think the argument is about multi-storey versus surface-level car parks. But if you feel like it's a worthy point to debate, enjoy yourself :)
 
On that basis we assumed, along with most other interviewees, that parking would also be free here. Is that not a fair assumption?
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Reality has shown that this wasn't a fair assumption. I do this it was fairly dumb of any employer not to clarify this point up front. But I also think there is a share of blame to be assigned to any employee who failed to clarify this point up front either.
 
DTC

I needed to buy a particular food product this evening and having tried Tesco in Dundrum Shopping Centre (none) and a couple of Centra and Spars in the area, reluctantly drove into Tesco in DSC. They didnt have want I wanted and I ended up paying €2 parking for the privilege.

Narks me that one has to spend €30 in Tesco to get 2 hours free parking. I also noticed that they have started to charge for parking in Dundrum Shopping Centre, also €2 per hour and free if you spend €30 in Tesco too.

Car parks in Ireland are a rip off in that they charge a rate per hour or PART OF instead of per minute. It is a pity Tesco will only refund if €30 spent although parking is free after 11pm, why not 10pm, as the cinemas would generally have started (for when they are open).

No doubt I will be impressed by the stores when I eventually make it in there but I think I will shop in Superquinn instead.

Anyone else have views of car parking ?

PS - the spaces are very narrow.
 
Re: DTC

On a slightly tangential topic ... anybody else read/hear about the prayers that were said at the ecumenical service held to bless the shopping centre last week? There was a bit in yesterday's Irish Times and I personally found the whole idea a bit odd.
 
Re: DTC

anybody else read/hear about the prayers that were said at the ecumenical service held to bless the shopping centre last week? There was a bit in yesterday's Irish Times and I personally found the whole idea a bit odd.
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I also found ironic the representatives from various faiths conducting a blessing at the opening. The passing of torch from the old religion to the new. The DTC is a cathedral to the dominant faith in this country - conspicuous consumption.
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free parking

in fairness, not many people in Dundrum have EVER had free parking - why don't you head on into AIB, BOI, Peter Marks or any of the other existing businesses there and see how many of the staff had parking entitlements. Only the senior staff you may find

I don't see why the charges apply after 9pm etc - it is going to be a huge disincentive to use the cinema there when its open if you're nipped for another €5 for the car park. Fingers x'd they put in some arrangement....

Unbelieveably, traffic was lighter than ever in Dundrum all this weekend. I'm not sure how they're getting away with this, I presume most people are parking in Sandyford and luasing etc??
 
Re: free parking

I don't see why the charges apply after 9pm etc
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I did see a note offering free parking between 11 pm & 7 am.
 
Free parking

Gerry, I wasn't aware that if you spent more than €30 in Tesco that you got 2 free hours parking. How does this work?
 
We can't keep assuming that we can always have our single-occupancy tin-box to bring us to/from work each day.
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No, but if you seriously think that 4,000 people are all going to change the habits of a lifetime because the centre's management think they should, then you're being somewhat unrealistic.

And as for doing the school run on public transport, can I ask if you've ever given it a go? For any prolonged period?
 
No, but if you seriously think that 4,000 people are all going to change the habits of a lifetime because the centre's management think they should, then you're being somewhat unrealistic.
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You have to see the big picture, Biggles - It's not a question of changing because of some whim of the centre's management. It's a question of changing because of the ever increasing environmental cost of car usage, because of the ever increase cost of providing parking facilities, because of the growing levels of obesity amongst our adult & child population. There are a whole raft of reasons, and I'd bet a fiver that they could find 4,000 people on public transport routes to Dundrum looking for jobs in the shiny new mall if they looked hard enough.

Nope - I've never done the school run on public transport myself, though as stated above, I know one lady who does this regularly. I have brought my little girl on the LUAS in her buggy, but that was during off-peak hours.
 
parking?

Why would anyone assume they would get free parking at work? I work in town and would never have even considered that free parking would come with the position. In this day and age, why would any other part of the city be any different.

Plus public transport to Dundrum is very good. 12 mins from the city centre at any time of the day? Couldn't happen in a car.
 
Re: parking?

Why would anyone assume they would get free parking at work?

Free parking at work should be treated as a benefit in kind in my opinion.
 
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