Clampers are earning up to €1,000 a week from a section of Lower Rathmines road on Dublin's southside – one of Dublin's top 10 clamping hotspots.

More than 20 local businesses are up in arms over the clamping policy and plan to submit a list of alternative parking proposals to Dublin City Council within weeks.

Tony Greene, who runs a barber's shop on the road, says the clamping of cars has "reached ridiculous levels".

"I have people in my shop, jumping out of the chair with their gowns still on to rescue their cars from the clampers."

Mr Greene says that shoppers are only allowed to park along the road between 10am and noon six days a week.

The local businesses want this restriction free period extended to 3pm on weekdays and lifted completely on Saturdays to include a loading bay on the street.

"We have all kinds of shops here from an antique shop and internet cafe to a Cancer Society shop, restaurant and pub. The parking restrictions affect different people in different ways but you're talking about more than 20 businesses."

Costs

Mr Greene said the shop owners had held a meeting and planned to submit a written list of alternative suggestions to Dublin City Council about how the parking restrictions could be cut back to encourage more shoppers into the area.

"On Saturdays there's no need for restrictions at all and yet we still have them."

With release fees set at €80, the council earned income of about €4.4m from the unlucky drivers. However, when the cost of paying DSPS to provide the service is deducted, the council made a loss.

csheehy@herald.ie