Clamping has to used to be keep Dublin city moving, not as a money-making exercise.
That's according to AA Ireland's Head of Communications Blake Boland, who was speaking as Dublin City Council's contract with a private company to clamp cars is due to end next year.
Some councillors have suggested changes to the existing system.
Mr Boland told Newstalk Breakfast clamping is one part of a wider approach.
"It's one means of doing that... it can be an effective way of reducing illegal parking," he said.
"It's highly unlikely that it's going to eradicate it - for that we do have a blended approach, including some of the fixed penalty notices."
'Keep the city moving'
Mr Boland said around 21,000 parking fines have been issued in the last two years.
"A lot of clamps are illegally removed; and one of the responses to that was to issue some parking fines," he said.
"We did see about 21,000 parking fines in the two years since the council moved from just clamping.
"If you lock a car in place by putting a clamp on it, and it's in a bus lane, that car could be there for a while.
"It has to be done for the right reasons.
"If this is about revenue protection and making money, then we're not necessarily for that.
"The purpose of this really has to be to keep the city moving and protect the more vulnerable citizens of Dublin, to make sure that everybody can get around the city."
'The blockage remains'
Dublin Commuter Coalition Committee Member Jason Cullen said clamping means keeping cars in-situ.
"The problem with clamping is when you do it you fix the car in place on the road, so the blockage remains," he said.
"Illegal parking is being left longer than it necessarily needs to be when you put a clamp on the vehicle."
Mr Cullen said there are better options available.
"If the goal is to stop illegal behavior, then we should stop inviting illegal behaviour by allowing the gamble to continue.
"There's a lot of people who take the risk and stop for five minutes and run into the shops.
"But a far better solution to the problem is to have automatic camera enforcement.
"That would immediately read a licence plate and fine somebody for parking illegally or entering a bus lane," he added.
