Drivers were slammed as "selfish" for parking illegally on residential roads near Liverpool Airport.
Hale Road and Hale Drive in Speke have become inundated with cars dropping people off and collecting them from Liverpool John Lennon Airport who wish to avoid the airport's car parking charges. The problem had got so bad in recent years that residents say people have resorted to parking on double yellow lines, on the central reservation and across driveways.
Holidaymakers getting dropped off in the area is also reported to be causing noise and rubbish problems, with some residents having witnessed people urinating in private gardens. ECHO readers have now had their say on the parking issues and what they think needs to be done to solve them.
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John Luxton said: "I don't know why people do this. I am always very careful where I put my car and would only use an official car park. Don't they worry that something may happen to their car and it is damaged?"
Jane Lynam said: "Make the street permit parking for residents then fine those that don't have a permit simples."
Norma Jones said: "No thought for anyone very selfish people out there any driveway will do."
Under the airport's current car parking charges it costs £4 for someone to park directly opposite the terminal for up to ten minutes, with this rising to £10 for 20 minutes and £25 for up to an hour. However, Liverpool Airport said there is also a free drop-off point which is around the same distance away by foot from the airport terminal as Hale Road, and is free for up to 40 minutes, increasing to £8 for an hour.
Pete Monkhouse said: "It's pretty simple. Oblige airports (and train stations) to provide a free 15 minute drop off and collection area adjacent to the terminal. It's what they do in Italy. Problem solved."
Nicola Montgomery said: "Stop charging such extortionate amounts. The airport would most likely get the same revenue as more people would be happy to fork out. I recently dropped my brother off in Manchester. It cost me £5 for him to open the door and get out. We were as quick as that!"
Karen Marie said: "Get signatures to change it to residents parking only that will stop them doing it."
Anthony Brown, 73, who has lived in the area for the last 31 years, told the ECHO: "It's very frustrating. They park in between ours and next door's car and you can't get your car out.
"It varies each day - it's early morning and late at night. You get nothing and then there's a typhoon [of cars], it seems to be happening when you're sitting down watching something or reading."
Liverpool City Council told the ECHO highways officers will go out to monitor the situation at Hale Road.
An Airport spokesperson said: “We share resident’s frustration over the behaviour of some drivers who choose to park on public roads close to the airport when picking up or dropping off passengers, when we have on site car parks specifically designated for this use.
"This includes a free drop-off car park for those who do not want to pay for the convenience of being close to the terminal, with parking available for up to 40 mins free of charge.
"This is just a short walk from the terminal but a similar distance away compared to where cars parking on the local public roads are, plus our car park has a shelter for passengers waiting to be picked in poor weather.
"Unfortunately because some cars choose to park on public roads outside of the airport, we have no control on parking in these areas or on measures to deter drivers from parking here.
"We have had discussions with residents, local councillors and the City Council in the past to look at ways to tackle this problem and to deter such parking but sadly this continues to be a problem.”
