Parking in a city centre can be a nightmare at the best of times and searching for the right place to leave your car can be a daunting task.
Liverpool city centre has its fair share of car parks, but some have come under fire for expensive prices and confusing signage that has left motorists with hefty fines.
NCP's car park on Rumford Street, has a Google rating of 3.3 stars after disgruntled drivers were quick to comment on the outdoor space.
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Just a short walk from the city centre, we visited the Rumford Street car park to see exactly what motorists were facing when they visited the area.
A small, outdoor car park can be convenient for those wanting to access the popular city centre shops, the docks or the Passport Office, but just how safe is it?
Some motorists say the car park has been manned upon their arrival, but others described it as 'unsafe'.
Warning signs that CCTV is in operation are placed upon entry, but these clearly state vehicle registrations will be captured.
Vehicles appear to be exposed, with no real security or protection, and if driving in and around, cars must be careful to avoid the extremely bumpy and uneven land.
We visited the car park on a cold and rainy day, where bumps in the road were hidden underneath puddles, with the potential to cause havoc to vehicles.
Should you encounter a driver struggling to find a space or manoeuvre, then a traffic jam can quickly build - and there is nowhere for that traffic to go, down the one way road.
Spaces are poorly marked, so motorists would be relying on others to park their vehicle in a sensible manner - often not the case in some situations.
However, the 24-hour car park is convenient and those with the NCP ParkPass App can receive a slight parking discount, which certainly comes in handy to save those pounds.
On Google reviews, one motorist said: "Car park is full of pot holes, there was puddles everywhere and really uneven. We visited on 12 December only needed a one hour slot and was charged £10.95!!!!! I would not recommend this place."
Another said: "Save the money and go to a nearby car park for cheaper, and it will be safer."
Another added: "£8 for two hours, no thanks. Also the surface of road in this carpark looks like a WW2 bombsite. Maybe use some of that overpriced ticket money to sort the floor out so people don't leave with a flat tyre."
A fourth wrote: "Very expensive for an unmanned, unsafe and completely exposed car park. Be careful when exiting your vehicle, the ground is completely torn up."
The car park is simple enough, it is what it is, an outdoor area of land to store your vehicle while you are out and about.
But despite the bumpy and uneven ground, the area itself does not appear to be accessible for all.
One motorist gave the car park just one star, adding: "Being in a wheel chair it was impossible to find a space flat enough for the chair and big enough to be able to open the door wide enough for the wheelchair."
The Rumford Street car park has a standard price of £3.45 for one hour if paying on the day, which drops to £2.95 if you have the app.
If wanting to stay longer, a five to 24-hour stay could leave you £19.95 out of pocket, which drops to £17.95 with the app.
With a total of 78 spaces, there are no wide bays available or disabled bays.
But not all reviews were bad.
One user said: "Set just off the main road near the passport office this little car park is a great place to park. Handy and convenient for all the amenities that Liverpool as to offer."
Another said: "Expensive but really was worth it so you didn't have to walk far."
One motorist added that it was one of the "cheapest in the area."
NCP declined to comment.
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