EuroPark profiting off hospitals?

TheTruth89

I just had to go visit a relative in the hospital and had to pay for parking...now what ever about paying it to the hospital... But euro park own the car parks and are literally making a profit off peoples misfortune and into the bargain just making people's lives more difficult in a difficult time.

Why is this even allowed ? It's an absolute disgrace.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058241850/europark-profiting-off-hospitals

They don’t own the car parks. They manage the car parks under contract to the hospital, and make substantial payments to the hospital.

Who do you think should pay for your car parking facility?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058241850/europark-profiting-off-hospitals

Why do you think the hospital should provide free storage for your private property?

Timfy

I suspect the answer is fourfold

1) Land around hospitals would be prime real estate and not at all cheap to own and maintain.

2) It could be argued that it could be an income stream for hospitals, but in reality it would likely be a liability. Hospital boards would also be sorely tempted to sell on car parking land for short term profit.

2) If hospital car parks were cheap or free, you would never get parked in there for an actual appointment as they would be full of commuters and shoppers parked for the day

3) They are a business, not a charity, and as the old saying goes, if you don't want it, don't buy it!

Personally I believe that there should be a means of endorsing your ticket if you are actually attending the hospital to get a partial (full?) refund

I have fortunately only had to park at two Irish hospitals. UHG Galway who lift you by the ankles and rattle out every cent they can and the Mayo General where parking is plentiful and very cheap so it varies greatly from hospital to hospital.

If you think it's expensive here, try parking at a UK hospital!!!

SouthWesterly

I paid 2.50 an hour yesterday in tallaght. Was out in 30 minutes.

It cost me more to travel to tallaght and have a meal on the way home than my parking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118930805#Comment_118930805

You mustn't have eaten much...

Dempo1

Some, not all Hospitals have a mechanism in place to discount cost for Relatives that need to make regular visits to a loved in admitted, the same applies for people receiving Dialysis, cancer treatments.

It is fair to say some hospital parking charges are high but just as an example of the opposite for context.

A midlands Hospital I'm know well charges around €2 per hour, I ended up being admitted there having drove myself to A&E, last November for 7 days. I was going to have my car picked up, worried at the cost of parking but told, don't worry, maximum charge is €10, Meters don't go beyond that, in essence €10 for 7 days parking which I feel was more than fair, actually generous.

TheTruth89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118930665#Comment_118930665

I'd expect taxes that people are paying to allow free parking in hospitals to people who need it. I certainly don't think a company should be profiting off the back of our hospitals.

100% sick people or those visiting them should not have to pay a cent parking in our hospitals it's a joke.

magicbastarder

what system is used in hospitals these days? pay and display, or take a ticket and pay on departure?

it was the former in james connolly when i was parked there ten years ago, which is odious.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931480#Comment_118931480

Why should taxes be used to subsidise the transport choices of better off people? Should taxes be subsidising those who travel to hospital by bus or train or taxi? Why should the taxes of those who take public or transport be used to provide storage space for your private property?

What is it about parking that makes it expected to be free? You don't get free fuel or free insurance or free servicing or free lease payments to drive to hospital - why would you expect free storage facilities?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118930728#Comment_118930728

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118930805#Comment_118930805

Who do yiz expect to pay for or subside your parking at Irish hospitals?

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118930869#Comment_118930869

Did you read the post correctly. From my reading (please correct if I am wrong) they paid 2.40 parking and spent more while getting there and back again

gipi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931493#Comment_118931493

Still pay and display in Connolly hospital, and cash only too if I recall

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931544#Comment_118931544

I never said I did. Please show me where I said that?

TheTruth89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931544#Comment_118931544

Why shouldn't taxes be used to benefit everyone in our society? That's the whole point of taxes is it not ?

Why shouldnt we have a better system than "europark" how about the government run it and put the proceeds into maintaining and upgrading the hospitals rather than profit margins for a 3rd party company.

Either the taxes we pay go towards that and other essential services or if we have to pay atleast have that go to the hospital and maintenance completely.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931782#Comment_118931782

Everyone doesn't have a car. Everyone can't afford a car. Free parking doesn't benefit everyone. Free parking benefits car owners. Why should taxes subsidise the transport choices of better off people?

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931682#Comment_118931682

"It cost me more to travel to tallaght and have a meal on the way home than my parking"

i read that the same way as the poster you quoted did. the cost of the meal was included, based on the phrasing.

TheTruth89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118932066#Comment_118932066

Everyone not having a car is no reason for having parking lots earning a profit for 3rd parties at our hospitals. Not everyone has children either but taxes still go towards children's allowance.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931733#Comment_118931733

As I mentioned, that's odious. As you often don't know how long you're going to be there, you've a choice of overestimating your visit and overpaying, or underestimating and having to repeatedly go out and top up (while you could be waiting in A&E).

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118932066#Comment_118932066

Not everybody can cycle or use public transport should our taxes be used for those.

Sorry so someone who has a car is better off not always no. Also if someone is going to hospital be what it be for, using public transport should or would do.

Of all the things that you want taxes to be not wasted on, parking spaces for private property has to be right up there.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118932671#Comment_118932671

Regardless of the why's the vast majority of people in a hospital get there using a car. Kinda nuts then not to service that requirement in a competent manner.

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931480#Comment_118931480

Can you please show the profiteering?

And why do people always hark on about "our taxes" pay?

The taxes are paying for excellent care your relative is getting. €21BILLION of tax actually. That's a MASSIVE 80% of PAYE taxes collected that goes on healthcare.

Social welfare is another €23 BILLION.

And you have an issue about paying a few euro for parking to visit your relative that is getting great care thanks to my and many others tax contribution.

I really don't want to be paying for your parking.

Flinty997

You've already paid for the parking when they built the hospital. Someone parking there isn't costing anything extra.

The only cost is paying someone or something to collect money.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118932864#Comment_118932864

They do service it by providing parking spaces

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118933128#Comment_118933128

Considering you often can't get a park, and the parking payment systems are a shambles. It's not competent, it's a farce.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118933044#Comment_118933044

Providing parking costs money. It costs money to mark out spaces. It costs money to manage the idiots who don’t park on parking spaces. It costs money to supervise it with security and cctv . Providing space for parking is an opportunity cost, as otherwise the space could be used for something productive.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118932864#Comment_118932864

How did you work that out? Maybe if we subsidised public transport users instead of subsidising motorists, we’d have more people travelling by public transport.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118932641#Comment_118932641

But you’d agree that generally, motorists are better off than non motorists, right?

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118933363#Comment_118933363

Because I've looked at the studies and followed the studies that been done to death on these forums and in the media.

Because I've used these car parks extensively for years.

TheTruth89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118933347#Comment_118933347

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118932983#Comment_118932983

Its good so we have good charitable non profit organization s such as europark to step into the breach and shoulder such a burden.

Are you for real? As for the people talking about the billions of taxes on other stuff you wouldn't miss the few euros it would take to provide free parking for sick people at a hospital.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118933347#Comment_118933347

They paid for it when it was built. It has minimal on going costs.

Including the cost of people who don't park in parking spaces is just gibberish.