Commuters and residents who work and live in London are being warned some parts of the capital will become virtual no-go zones for cars during the Olympics, with motorists finding it almost impossible to park as space is commandeered for delegates for the duration of the Games.
Ordinarily there are 36,000 public parking spaces, both free and paid for, in the four key Olympic boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. But during the games this will drop to fewer than 16,500 because of Olympic parking regulations, according to Park-Up.com, a website and app that provides parking information.
It said every street in the four boroughs would be subject to new restrictions running from early in the morning until late evening. Only residents and business permit holders have the right to park, but they will still have to apply for a paper or virtual permit in advance from the relevant council.
Visitors to homes in residents' parking zones (RPZ) can park with an existing paper parking permit during the RPZ hours, but will need to apply to the organising committee Locog for a free one-day virtual visitors' permit if they want to stay longer.
Parkup.com's managing director, Norman Olaniran, said: "Locog's new parking proposals aren't easy to access or understand online and for specifics, citizens and visitors are expected to check with individual council websites.
"It's a total nightmare. I was surprised by how confusing it was – they could have made it so much easier to understand. The parking attendants will have to work double time."
Locog said temporary resident and business parking protection areas are being put in place around Games venues to prevent spectators from trying to park there and to prioritise parking for residents and local businesses.
Research by insurer swiftcover.com has revealed that the number of parking spaces provided by carpark operator Q-Park for "rolling traffic" will almost halve from 4,466 to 2,428, and that the firm will be closing its Park Lane/Marble Arch car park to the general public. The car park, which is one of the biggest in London with spaces for 981 cars and 313 motorcycles, is being reserved for the exclusive use of Locog.
NCP is also closing one car park – the Great Eastern Street car park – between 16 July and 6 August, while hundreds of spaces are being reserved in the Portman Square, Carrington Street, Park West and Lanark Road car parks for use by Locog.
Ben Heath, head of operations at NCP, said season ticket holders will still be able to leave their cars in their regular car parks, with the exception of those who use the Great Eastern Street car park: they are being accommodated in other car parks.
However one commuter, who has a season ticket for an NCP car park in Brewer Street, Soho, was told at the end of May that he would face problems parking his car because two levels in the car park were being reserved for Olympic delegates.
In a letter to him, NCP said: "Parking at Brewer Street will be restricted to the ground and lower level only. Of course, as a season ticket holder, you'll be given priority, but we're unable to guarantee you one of these limited spaces. The restrictions will begin on 27 July and last until 12 August."
Locog has in the last week decided it does not need the space in Brewer Street, but the commuter, who prefers to remain anonymous, has still not been informed officially of this decision and is annoyed at the way he has been treated. He said: "Although I have repeatedly chased for more information, the NCP has been very vague about the whole thing, and didn't come up with any solutions."
Heath admitted the firm had obviously failed to communicate information properly. He said NCP had intended to open up the basement of the car park to ensure season ticket holders could still park but added that the firm would be writing to all Brewer Street season ticket holders in the next seven days to let them know about Locog's change of plans.
NCP has set up a temporary car park opening on 25 July for six weeks in Leyton, just minutes away from the Olympic park, and is offering special parking deals to Olympic volunteers.
