A council study into on-street parking has revealed hotspots, like George Street, are always at least three-quarters full.

But there are nearby roads where drivers are only using around a quarter of the available pay-and-display bays.

Among the streets where the study claims it is easy to find a space are Regent Road, Calton Road, Royal Terrace, Johnston Terrace, King Stables Road and Glenfinlas Street off Charlotte Square.

The streets where drivers have the most difficulty finding a space include George Street, St Andrew Square, Chambers Street and Melville Street. These streets are also among the top-five ticketed streets in the Capital.

There are around 7000 on- and off-street parking spaces in the city centre and it is hoped that electronic signs, which tell drivers how many spaces are available in city car parks, introduced last month will help direct drivers to free parking spaces.

Council chiefs today welcomed the research as proof that drivers have lots of choice when looking to park in the city centre.

But driving groups said the reason these streets were not being fully used was because they were not convenient for drivers shopping or working in the city centre.

Councillor Phil Wheeler, the city's transport leader, said: "The results of this survey show that drivers in Edinburgh have lots of choice when looking for a parking space in the city centre.

"People do tend to circle the length of George Street, which is always busy, but with parking available to the east and west – at Charlotte Square and the Omni Centre, both just a short walk away – there is plenty of capacity for people to park."

Nearly three-quarters of shoppers arriving in the city centre travel by public transport.

The council report cites a possible negative perception that there are still problems with parking spaces in the city centre following the aborted traffic shake-up in 2005.

Bruce Young, Lothian and Borders co-ordinator of the Association of British Drivers, said: "It doesn't really surprise me that car parking spaces are not being used where people don't want to go.

"You want to park close to where you are shopping and if you take somewhere like Johnston Terrace, then it is a good 15-minute walk away from the main shopping areas.

"Somewhere like Charlotte Square is a red herring because it is difficult to access."

The council research also highlights how on-street city centre parking costs in the Capital are just below the national average of £1.86 per hour.

Graham Bell, spokesman for the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: "What we are seeing more and more of is the difficulty of finding the premium spaces in the city centre. This will be temporarily exacerbated by the tram construction phase."

Charges vary across the city centre from £1.80 an hour on George Street to 70p on outer streets.

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