Britain has a new contender for the most ridiculous fine for private motorists: a Cardiff man was fined £170 after stopping at a temporary traffic light near the terminal at Bristol Airport.
Dave Fitzheslop says he was stunned after being issued with a £100 fine in April – now increased to £170 – for stopping at a red light on his way to the short-stay car park.
Despite Bristol Airport’s parking company, VCS, sending him photos clearly showing his car parked at a red light with pedestrians crossing in front of it, his appeal has been rejected twice and he is now using debt collection agencies to claim the excessive fine.
His case is one of the most absurd claims Guardian Money has seen in some time. Other contenders include people who were hit with claims after paying to use electric car chargers, and even after parking while on a speed awareness course.
Bristol Airport is far from alone in charging drivers to pick up or drop off passengers – drop-and-go prices start at £6 for up to 10 minutes – or using private companies to ruthlessly enforce the rules even when they defy common sense. Disabled drivers with a Blue Card going to Bristol Airport are charged £6, despite being allowed to stay for 40 minutes.
Fitzheslop, who works in translation, was driving alone to Bristol airport that day because his wife’s flight was delayed and she had missed her bus back to Cardiff.
As he drove onto the airport grounds to the parking lot, he was stopped at a temporary traffic light. At that point, he says, his wife came out of the terminal, saw him sitting there and jumped into the car.
He says that when the light turned green, he drove to the next roundabout, got himself back on his feet and left the airport. He says that at no time did he enter the designated pick-up zone or the short-stay parking lot.
The photos of our car clearly show that I was parked at a traffic light
Dave Fitzheslop
A few days later, his wife, the registered owner of the car, received a £100 notice for delivering or collecting in a prohibited area. She was told that this would be reduced to £60 if she paid within 14 days. Fitzheslop contacted VCS to report the error.
“The photos of our car clearly show me at a traffic light, so I assumed that once I informed them that would be the end of the matter,” he said. “Instead, they just chased me for the money. I appealed twice, and both times it was rejected. It’s clear that this is just a money-making operation. It feels like a scam. What was I supposed to do – ignore the traffic light, run over the people crossing the road? The whole thing is ridiculous.”
The couple are the latest drivers to be caught by the Bristol Airport contractor, who appears to be making such demands more often.
There is a 10-page thread on the MoneySavingExpert forum asking for help and advice after falling victim to what they describe as the airport’s overzealous enforcement of policy. It was started by someone who said they had received a request after being stuck in a traffic jam due to a faulty barrier. Other drivers have reported receiving similar requests which they find absurd.
“In order to maintain a high level of road safety on the site, red routes and a no-stopping policy are in place across the site,” Bristol Airport’s website states. “Please be aware that drivers are not permitted to stop, unload or park on our road networks or red routes, even when picking up or dropping off customers.”
Like other private parking companies, the airport contractors cannot fine drivers. Instead, they send an “enforcement fee,” which is essentially compensation for breach of contract. Drivers, they claim, agree to their terms and conditions when they enter their premises, which are monitored by CCTV.
Parking companies were encouraged by a 2015 High Court ruling, when judges ruled that £85 was not an excessive charge for a 56-minute overrun. The judges ruled that such charges served a “useful” role as a deterrent, but did not specify what would constitute an excessive charge.
The problem at airports arises when drivers encounter traffic jams, traffic lights or other unforeseen delays, Fitzheslop found.
A Bristol Airport spokesperson told Guardian Money the company stands by the accusation.
“There are numerous signs, including at the airport entrance and along the roads, indicating that stopping, dropping off or picking up is not permitted. This is in the interest of airport security and customer safety, to ensure that pedestrians stick to the designated paths and do not step onto the road, which is dangerous,” she says.
“Mr Fitzheslop pulled up directly next to one of these signs to pick up his wife, who was walking out into the road to get into the vehicle. The sign clearly states that motorists are liable to a £100 fine if they breach the conditions.
“We have a free car park for waiting, dropping off and picking up, which Mr Fitzheslop could have used. There is a shuttle bus from the terminal every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day.”
It remains to be seen whether the company is prepared to take this matter to court to enforce its £170 claim. Companies send these demands but often do not go to court, especially if they do not appear to have a strong case.
Airport surcharge for five minute drop off
Birmingham €5
Bristol €6
Cardiff Free
Edinburgh €5
Gatwick €6
Heathrow €5
Manchester €5
Newcastle €4
Stansted €7
Source MoneySavingExpert
There are currently no charges being made in Luton due to a fire
Have airport charges increased?
In recent years, the cost of dropping off and picking up passengers has become a major revenue stream for Britain’s many foreign-owned airports, and in many cases has risen since last summer.
Belfast Airport currently charges the lowest drop-off fee in the UK: £3 for a stay of up to 10 minutes. Those going to Stansted pay the highest fee: £7 for a stay of five minutes, or £25 if they stay for up to 30 minutes.
Birmingham, Bristol and Gatwick have all increased their fares by 20% to 25% since last summer, which typically equates to an increase of £1.
Heathrow, one of the last airports to introduce the charge, now charges drivers one of the lowest fares, £5. Users must pay online or by phone, and signage is not great at warning drivers of this.
Most airports, including Bristol, offer a free alternative, which is often just as quick as the paid zone. At Stansted, for example, passengers can be dropped off or picked up for free at the mid-stay car park. The driver gets up to an hour free. It’s much more relaxing; buses take passengers to and from the terminal in 10 minutes, which is not much longer than the walk from the drop-off zone. It has the added benefit of not having to carry heavy suitcases.
Southend’s long-term car park is free for up to 15 minutes and is a four-minute walk from the terminal. Leeds Bradford has a one-hour free zone, which is a three to four-minute walk from the terminal. A major fire at Luton Airport led to the closure of the drop-off zone, forcing people to use the free mid-stay car park instead. For many users, it was almost as quick and free. Regular travellers don’t usually pay this fee, so why should you?