EMPTY garages and driveways are being rented out over the internet in a bid to cash in on Edinburgh's parking problems.
A handful of city residents have already signed up for a new website which allows them to advertise their empty space to frustrated commuters.
Spaces on offer range from a resident's permit bay in Marchmont at £15-a-day to a private driveway in M
oredun, advertised as "five-to-ten minutes' walk" from Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, at £4 per day.
So far, none of the spaces on offer in Edinburgh have been taken up, but the internet entrepreneurs behind parkatmyhouse.com are confident it will soon take off in the Capital.
On the website, users can advertise their parking spaces, usually a driveway or resident's parking space.
Those looking for somewhere to park simply type in the postcode of their destination. The advertiser and driver then contact each other and agree on a price.
They can even print out a contract.
The site's founder, Anthony Eskinazi, said thousands of users had already signed up to the service in England.
"It's a very simple idea," he said.
"It just came to me when we were travelling in San Francisco. I was attending a baseball game, driving round with friends and couldn't find a parking space. I thought 'wouldn't it be nice if we could just park in one of these guys' empty driveways?'"
Several spaces have already been advertised in Edinburgh close to the new Royal Infirmary, priced at £4 a day or £12 a week. This compares favourably with charges at the hospital's car park, which have just been reduced from £10 to £7 a day after protests from patients and their families.
Other spaces include a resident's permit bay close to Pollock Halls of Residence at a pricey £20 per day.
Mr Eskinazi said: "Spaces near hospitals always seem to be popular.
"There's been a lot of publicity about the exorbitant prices people pay for car parking at hospitals. If you have a relative who's ill, then this can be a real help.
"Another big thing is parking spaces near football stadiums. If you're in town for a match or another event you can book a space through the website and save having to drive round looking for one."
He hopes to make money through advertising and by charging local businesses for attracting shoppers who would otherwise be put off by a lack of parking.
Graeme Green, 47, a computer consultant from York Place, has already signed up for the website.
Despite paying £160 a year for a resident's parking permit, he often has to drive round looking for an empty space.
He said: "It's impossible to find a space here, even during the day. You're lucky if you can park within three or four blocks. During the evening it's a complete nightmare. The wardens stop working at 6.30pm, and all the people who want to go out park in the residents' spaces.
"I heard about the website, so I filled in the online form. I work from home and often have to carry lots of computer equipment around, so a car is really a necessity.
"I'm hoping to find a drive or garage to rent - I don't even mind if it's a bit of a walk."
WATCH THESE SPACES
Spaces available in Edinburgh at parkatmyhouse.com include:
• A residents' permit bay in Warrender Park Road, Marchmont, for £15 a day.
• A residents' permit bay close to Pollock Halls of Residence for £20 per day.
• Two spaces in a private car park on Old Dalkeith Road, five minutes' walk from the ERI. Available from 8am to 6pm at £4 per day.
• A private driveway in Craigour Drive, five-to-ten minutes' walk from the ERI for £4 per day.
