Man turns his drive into car park for doctors and nurses – and charges £5 a day

An enterprising landlord is offering his driveway to NHS staff at one of Birmingham’s biggest hospitals – and undercutting their parking fees.

Doctors and nurses at Heartlands Hospital could save more than 50% of the fees if they choose to park outside Akeel Ahmed’s home.

After splurging a whopping £20,000 on transforming his drive into a car park for healthcare workers, he can squeeze in as many as 20 vehicles.

The dad-of-three charges £5 for all-day parking – a serious saving on the £10.20 for up to 24 hours demanded by the hospital.

‘The first few months were quiet but over the last six weeks it has picked up,’ Akeel said.

‘It’s mainly hospital users, patients and staff. I’ve have had a few nurses park up.

‘The nurses in particular can’t get permits to park up [at the hospital], here, £5 is nothing. And it’s secure, every time a car goes in, I know about it.

‘Everyone who has approached me says it’s brilliant. It’s right opposite the hospital, on the dual carriageway, it’s convenient and I’m making use of the land.

‘I think it’s going to be worth it. I’m making the area nicer as it was very overgrown. I contacted the council and they saw it as a positive.’

It comes just days after free parking for NHS staff in hospitals in England came to an end.

Parking fees were initially waived during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Sajid Javid said the perk would end last Friday.

In an update on Covid-19, the health secretary wrote: ‘Free parking in hospital car parks for NHS staff introduced during the pandemic will also come to an end on March 31.

‘However, over 93% of NHS trusts that charge for car parking have implemented free parking for those in greatest need, including NHS staff working overnight.’

This means that in one week, frontline workers praised for their heroic efforts during lockdown are seeing a huge rise in energy bills, the scrap of free Covid-19 tests and parking.

According to Akeel’s calculations, his ‘brilliant’ idea could bring him in £700 per week – or £36,400 each year. For now, it is more like £10 a day.

The lightbulb moment came last October when a driver visiting the hospital asked if he could park on his drive, at the junction of Alston Road and Bordesley Green East.

Akeel told the visitor payment was not needed, but he was given £5 ‘for his trouble’ on his way back.

Since then, Akeel has spent £20,000 on the dig, materials and labour to even up the driveway and create an entry and an exit for vehicles.

A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘Following the government’s announcement of the end of funding for free parking for NHS staff, car parking charges will be reintroduced on our hospital sites from May.

‘Trust staff working night shifts will receive free parking, in line with national policy.

‘We are actively working on a range of options, to best support staff to get to and from work.’

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