DISGRUNTLED motorists have been signing a petition urging Lancaster City Council to get into gear and end parking chaos in the area.

With an inadequate, bumpy surface and no marked parking bays, car users say enough is enough.

They want to see the council make the Auction Mart car park, on Thurnham Street, into a site worth its almost £500 per year charge for a parking permit.

Fed-up car users say they are sick of having to fork out cash or lose no claim bonuses to repair bumps and scratches caused by inconsiderate fellow motorists.

The regular car park users claim that insult has been added to injury since the council increased the cost of a permit by 33 per cent.

But yet, they say it is disgusting that the car park is not looked after and people are allowed to park in an 'ad hoc' fashion because of the lack of marked out parking spaces.

Last week, one vehicle was subjected to a hit-and-run causing a hefty damage bill.

The glass and debris following the incident had still not been cleared up as the Citizen went to press.

Says one car park user whose car has been damaged twice in less then six months: "The city council is failing in its duty to provide a car park that is fit for purpose. The excuse that this car park is a potential development site and therefore doesn't warrant extra expend-iture has been used by the council for the past two years."

She goes on: "Without plans registered for any development proposal and while the council is still charging top rates for permits, this excuse cannot surely be sustained."

A spokesman for the city council says: "The city has received a letter and petition from cust-omers using the Auction Mart car park regarding its poor condition and the lack of marked parking spaces.

"Improvements to car parks has been deleted from the current capital programme but every effort will be made to seek a capital allocation to reconstruct this car park during the council's budgeting process."