Customers dispute ‘greedy’ parking fines

More people have come forward about their “ridiculous” experiences after being issued “greedy” parking fines for stopping at an airport.

It comes after a solicitor warned fines handed out at Bristol Airport could be “unenforceable” if people were not technically breaching any bylaws.

Customers say they stopped for “less than a minute” in “unavoidable” circumstances, and have been threatened with £100 or £185 fines and court referrals for refusing to pay.

Bristol Airport said its roads were currently single lane, making it “dangerous for pedestrians to be alighting to and from vehicles”, or “standing in the road”. It added there was a car park for waiting and a “courtesy bus” to the terminal.

Alison Catt was dropping her daughter and a friend off at Bristol Airport when they got caught in stationary traffic caused by construction on the site.

Late for their flight, Ms Catt advised the pair to jump out with their bags, which “took less than 30 seconds”.

Her vehicle was photographed with the door open and she received a £100 fine through the post.

“It’s pure daylight robbery and they have to stop,” she said.

“Penalties should be issued for offending only, but Bristol Airport penalise everyone stopping or turning around. It’s ruthless and greedy.”

Jamie Shore, a Bristol taxi driver, now refuses to take fares to and from the airport after he was issued two tickets, totalling £200, just seven seconds apart.

On 19 September, Mr Shore says he cancelled a ride request after the passenger failed to show up in the designated airport drop-off zone.

He says he performed a U-turn outside a hotel car park and went on his way, only to receive the notices two weeks later.

“I know the rules of the airport, this is my livelihood,” he said.

“I always see people stopping, getting out of the car with their bags, and to me, I think that’s silly because they’re just asking for it.

“However, I’ve stopped at a perfectly legal junction for less than 10 seconds and they’ve got me for two fines. I don’t understand one, let alone two.

“It seems a bit carte blanche, the way they do this,” he added.

Nigel Allum, a 72-year-old from Torquay, has been fighting a Bristol Airport parking charge since November 2023.

After dropping his son off for a flight, and paying £6 for a parking ticket, Mr Allum was loading directions on his phone when it fell from its holding bracket and slipped under the seat.

He says he pulled over in a “large empty space” outside the car park barriers to retrieve it, believing it to be the safest option, but he was fined £185.

“It was an emergency stop. It wouldn’t have been safe to drive with a phone under my feet,” he said.

“They’re only after money, they don’t care. If a judge says ‘you’re wrong’, I’m wrong. But in my mind I am 100% right. I want my day in court.”

However, Bristol Airport says stopping of any kind, however briefly, is prohibited.

A spokesperson said: “The road network is currently a single lane in each direction, so congestion is easily caused when vehicles stop, and can often lead to delays and other motorists attempting to drive around.

“We’d like to remind all customers, if they are unsure where to park, to visit our website to help plan their journey.

“We also have a car park for waiting, near our Silver Zone. It is free for the first hour and a courtesy bus runs from outside the terminal every 10 minutes, around the clock, dropping off and collecting.”