How I agree with your leader comment about the scrapping of hospital car parking charges (September 3). When the charges were introduced at least you could get parked when attending an outpatients appointment. Most people attending a clinic or even visiting were only having to pay £1 for a couple of hours, which was fine. As soon as the charge was reduced to a maximum of £3 per day, low and behold, you couldn't get parked as the staff didn't mind paying that for parking all day.

Scrapping the charges will mean that you virtually have no chance to get parked.

Sandra Paton, Glasgow.

Parking charges are a tax on congestion, noise pollution, decreased air quality, decreased road safety, global warming and the health problems associated with too much time spent sat on one's backside. In Glasgow 50% and in Edinburgh 40% of households do not own a car. Thrifty, slim, low-carbon families such as mine are to be denied more than £5m worth of healthcare for Nicola Sturgeon to satisfy the car lobby. This is a kick in the teeth for public transport users.

Laura Bird, Edinburgh.

It was interesting to note the jubilation among hospital workers about the proposed removal of parking charges. This may mean the streets around Stobhill, Southern General and Gartnavel hospitals will now be free of staff cars. These will now fill up the spaces in the hospital grounds from around 9am until 5pm. Visitors and out patients will unfortunately now have to take up these vacated spaces in the streets since there will be no room inside the grounds.

I have been a regular visitor at each of these hospitals over the past year and have found great difficulty in finding a parking space at every location, despite being charged for the privilege.

Apart from staff, the winners are going to be the local taxi drivers, since many patients and visitors will be forced to park at a supermarket some distance away and take a taxi to hospital. How this will save patients money is beyond me.

John Mitchell, Milton of Campsie.

Although I welcome Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that all Scottish hospitals under direct NHS control are to allow free parking, I cannot help but think that an opportunity to improve these car parks has been missed. Most hospital parking bays are clogged with cars belonging to people who work nearby. These vehicles are there for the whole day, which results in outpatients and visitors being denied spaces, and on many occasions, having to park outwith the hospital area.

The introduction of a simple card system would greatly improve accessability for those who most need it. On entering the grounds, cards would be issued by machine to all vehicles, showing the time and date. On completion of treatment or a visit, bona fide visitors would then have their cards cancelled by entering a code issued by reception. This would allow them to exit the car park without charge. Non-hospital users would be charged by the hour.

Douglas Cardow, Maybole.