Click-and-collect set for Limerick city centre

LIMERICK City and County Council is exploring plans to convert loading bays into places where people can leave their cars for a short time to pick up orders made online.

At this week’s transport meeting – held on the internet to aid social distancing requirements – the council’s director of physical development confirmed the move on foot of a question from chairman, Cllr Joe Leddin.

He said: “We are actively working on this to identify locations in the city. we'll colour them a different colour, put up signage to that effect and have this arrangement.”

Previously, Cllr Leddin had hailed it as a “positive suggestion” which came out of the local authority’s meeting with traders who may be impacted by the council’s new mobility plan.

“A positive suggestion for the traders through the week was click and collect zones, whereby we have dedicated parking zones for people with disabilities and loading bays. I see no reason why we shouldn't look at some of the loading bays, or some of the parking spaces and re-assign them for click and collect, so people who are coming in - they've ordered their food online and they want to leave their car and park for 10 to 15 minutes. It's important to do that,” he told the meeting.

Slots are being examined in William Street, Thomas Street and Catherine Street, the Labour member added.

Fine Gael councilor Daniel Butler welcomed this, saying: “Something I proposed three or four years ago was click and collect. I think it's a great idea. Also, it maximises the space for a person, meaning a person doesn't need to walk down from a car park for an hour or so. I'd wholeheartedly support that as a strategy.”

In a bid to aid social distancing, many shops, most notably at Argos’s three city branches, are insisting that its customers make an order online before attending the shop.

Click-and-collect allows purchases made on the internet to be collected in a physical shop, to stop the need for waiting for an item in the post.