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ABC News
ABC News
Business
By Tamara Wearne

Residents on this Sydney street say it 'reeks of urine', and they blame Uber

According to people in the area, the situation has deteriorated in the past three months.

Uber drivers waiting for a fare near Sydney Airport are being accused of threatening residents, clogging roads and treating private gardens as public toilets.

People in Wolli Creek, near the international terminal, claim they've seen drivers urinating in front yards, against buildings and on the street, and say they've had enough.

Maria has lived in the area for six years but said it was now unbearable.

"Double parking, speeding down the road, intimidation, yelling and honking horns at 4am in the morning, disgusting behaviours of urinating in public," she said.

"We're considering moving. It's ridiculous."

The ridesharing company's online guide tells drivers to wait on Innesdale Road, Gertrude Street, Robert Lane or Levey Street if they want fares from Sydney International Airport.

"A few nights ago I saw a man leaning against a wall doing his business [and] my partner yelled 'mate, that's not a toilet'," Maria said.

"He calmly finished then walked back to his car waiting for a ride."

In a statement, Uber said its drivers agreed to follow community guidelines which included adhering to the law and not engaging in anti-social behaviour.

But one of its drivers told the ABC he avoided those streets in Wolli Creek because "the traffic and behaviour of the drivers is appalling".

A woman who works at a business in the area said her staff and customers regularly clashed with Uber drivers.

She claimed the situation had escalated over the past three months with "female customers and staff [feeling] very unsafe, especially at night".

"Our parking area reeks of urine and faeces," she said.

"It's affecting our business [and] people are choosing to go elsewhere."

A Bayside Council spokesperson said the area was patrolled regularly, and that residents should report anti-social behaviour to police.

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