Draft Off-Street Car Parking Order

Citation and commencement 

1. This Order may be cited as The Belfast Off-Street (Public Car Parks) Order 2026. 

Interpretation 

2. In this Order -

• “charging hours” means the period during which the driver is required to pay a charge for the use of a parking place specified in column 1 of Schedule 1 in accordance with the scale of charges set out in column 6 of Schedule 1;
• “driver” means the person who whether as owner or otherwise has the charge or control of a vehicle or being present is entitled to give orders to the person having charge or control thereof;
• “electric vehicle” means any vehicle which uses one or more electric motors for propulsion;
• “electric vehicle charging post” means apparatus which supplies electricity for the charging of electric vehicles;
• “hand-held device” means apparatus used by a traffic attendant which is programmed to interface with the telephone parking system;
• “intoxicating liquor” means spirits, wine, beer, cider and any fermented, distilled or spirituous liquor with an alcohol content exceeding 1.2 per cent by volume;
• “light goods vehicle” means a motor vehicle, constructed or adapted for use for the carriage of goods, the permissible maximum weight of which does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and for the purposes of this Order includes an electric vehicle of this type; 
• “motor car” means a mechanically propelled vehicle constructed solely for the carriage of passengers and their effects, seating not more than 6 persons in addition to the driver and for the purposes of this Order includes an electric vehicle of this type; 
• “motor cycle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle not being an invalid carriage or motor car having fewer than 4 wheels and the weight of which unladen does not exceed 410 kgs;
• “parking bay” means a space which is marked out in a parking place for the leaving of a vehicle;
• “parking charge” means any charge set by the Council for leaving a vehicle in a parking place authorised by this Order.
• “parking ticket” means a ticket issued by a ticket machine relating to any parking place for which a charge is made identified in Schedule 1;
• “pay and display parking place” means an off-street parking place authorised by this Order where permitted vehicles may park with a parking ticket issued by a ticket machine and displayed in the manner specified in Article 16 or whose driver is a registered driver who has paid the relevant fee via the telephone parking system;
• “public service vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle constructed or adapted to carry more than 8 seated passengers in addition to the driver, and used in standing or plying for hire, or used to carry passengers for hire; 
• “registered driver” means the driver of a vehicle who has, prior to leaving their vehicle in a pay and display parking place, had registered so many of their personal details with a service provider as that service provider may require to enable the telephone parking system to be activated in favour of said driver;
• “service provider” means a person or company providing services to or on behalf of the Council;
• “telephone parking system” means a system to facilitate and monitor any parking charge paid using any telephone or internet enabled device via communication with the service provider in accordance with instructions indicated on signs located at each pay and display parking place where the system is operational;
• “ticket machine” means an apparatus designed to issue a ticket indicating payment of a charge and the day and time at which it was issued and the number of hours for which it is valid or the date and time at which the ticket expires;
• “disabled persons vehicle” means a vehicle lawfully displaying a blue badge; and
• “blue badge” means a badge of a form prescribed under section 14(1) of the [1978 c. 53.] Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1978.