RPTR STATES THAT TOO MANY VEHICLES ARE PERMITTED TO DRIVE ON RWYS AND TXWYS INSTEAD OF USING THE ARPT PERIMETER ACCESS GATES. THE TWR GND FREQ BECOMES CONGESTED WITH THEIR REQUESTS.

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I HAVE BEEN AN ATCS FOR 15 YRS AND SPI IS MY 5TH DUTY LOCATION. I HAVE WORKED AT SPI FOR 3 YRS AND I BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES PERMITTED TO DRIVE ON TXWYS AND RWYS IS EXCESSIVE AND DANGEROUS. THE SPRINGFIELD ARPT AUTH HAS AUTH 99 VEHICLES TO OPERATE ON MOVEMENT AREAS. THESE VEHICLES INCLUDE SPRINGFIELD ARPT AUTH FIRE AND POLICE; SPRINGFIELD ARPT AUTH MAINT; SNOW PLOWS; MIL; NUMEROUS FUEL TRUCKS; SURVEY TRUCKS; FAA AIRWAYS FACILITIES TRUCKS; AND EVEN FARM IMPLEMENTS SUCH AS PLOWS AND TRACTORS. MANY OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE LEGITIMATE NEEDS TO ACCESS LOCATIONS ON THE ARPT. HOWEVER; THE ARPT PERIMETER IS EQUIPPED WITH ACCESS GATES THAT ALLOW VEHICLES TO EXIT THE ARPT AND DRIVE ON CITY/COUNTY STREETS. THESE GATES ARE EXTREMELY UNDER-USED. THE NORM AT SPI IS TO CALL GND CTL AND ASK FOR CLRNC ON TXWYS AND RWYS. THIS RESULTS IN FREQ CONGESTION; RWY XING; AND THE INCREASED PROBABILITY OF A RWY INCURSION. 6 WKS AGO; A CTLR HAD AN OPERROR INVOLVING A VEHICLE AND AN ACFT ON TKOF ROLL. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE EXITING THE ARPT AND USING CITY/COUNTY ROADS TO DRIVE AROUND THE ARPT AND RE-ENTER THE ARPT THROUGH AN ACCESS GATE CLOSE TO THEIR DEST. THEY SHOULD NOT ACCESS MOVEMENT AREAS OR CALL GND CTL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. WORKING ACFT ON GND CTL IS NOT DIFFICULT. IT IS THE LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT MAKE GND CTL DIFFICULT. MANY OF THESE XMISSIONS COULD BE ELIMINATED IF VEHICLES USED THE ACCESS GATES. THE LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AT SPI CONSTITUTE A THREAT TO SAFETY. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE NEXT VEHICLE/ACFT INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE HIS RPT WAS WRITTEN. RPTR DID SAY THAT AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE LAST WK TO PRESENT A DRAFT LOA BTWN THE LCL FAA AND THE ARPT AUTH TO ALLOW GND VEHICLES TO USE THE TXWYS WITHOUT CALLING THE TWR GND CTLR. THIS WOULD GET MOST OF THE VEHICLES OFF THE TWR GND FREQ. THE LOA WAS DRAFTED BY THE TWR STAFF AND UNION PERSONNEL. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE FACILITY MGR DOES NOT SUPPORT THE LOA AND THE ARPT AUTH IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGAL LIABILITY OF IT. SO AS OF TODAY THE DRAFT LOA IS DEAD. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE MIL UNIT ON THE ARPT; WHICH THEY HAVE THE MOST PROB WITH THEIR VEHICLES; ARE RELUCTANT TO USE THE PERIMETER ACCESS GATES BECAUSE OF THEIR CONCERN TO TRANSPORT FOD ON THEIR RAMP AREA.