Parking Enforcement APCOA (Luton Airport)

Sirdan

Naughty APCOA (Luton Airport)

Look at this sign (no prizes for telling us what's wrong with it)

/i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa420/sirdan1/053.jpg

Sirdan

And the Luton Airport website says

"An £80 penalty charge has been introduced at London Luton Airport for drivers who stop their vehicles to drop off or pick up passengers on the approach roads, roundabout, or bus lane leading up to the Airport terminal."

tut tut ..very naughty..;-)

esmerobbo

http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa420/sirdan1/053.jpg

They must believe their own importance and believe they have authority to penalise. Makes you think how strong any court case would be from them, if their legal department cant even get the signage correct?

Sirdan

Not that it will make any difference but I couldn't resist firing off a couple of quick E-mails.

One to the Webmaster of Luton Airport advising him that he should really remove the misleading term "penalty charge".

and one to the BPA about APCOA's flagrant breach of the codes ...I visit Luton Airport on a very regular basis ..will see if the sign gets changed.

Next E-mail will be to DVLA suggesting they strike APCOA from the AOS list for such a crass breach.

If nothing else maybe they will actually change the signs ..with any luck it will cost them more than £80 to do !!!!

PMSL.

Sirdan

DVLA website says :-

"Since 23 November 2009 all private car parking companies requesting information to enforce parking restrictions by means of charges or clamping have to be a member of a DVLA Accredited Trade Association (ATA) and be fully compliant with that ATA's code of practice. Those that do not meet this criteria will not be eligible to request DVLA data.
To date, the only ATA for the parking industry is the British Parking Association."

So one simple letter with the photo that shows APCOA are NOT "fully compliant" with the BPA codes of practice and the DVLA will stop giving them data ...if only ...still worth a letter to DVLA I think.

esmerobbo

Sirdan wrote: »

DVLA website says :-

"Since 23 November 2009 all private car parking companies requesting information to enforce parking restrictions by means of charges or clamping have to be a member of a DVLA Accredited Trade Association (ATA) and be fully compliant with that ATA's code of practice. Those that do not meet this criteria will not be eligible to request DVLA data.
To date, the only ATA for the parking industry is the British Parking Association."

So one simple letter with the photo that shows APCOA are NOT "fully compliant" with the BPA codes of practice and the DVLA will stop giving them data ...if only ...still worth a letter to DVLA I think.

Been there done that! They don't give a monkeys, they tell you to get on to the BPA, and complain!
If they stopped them for being non compliant, non of them would be able to gain access to the DVLA.

Sirdan

esmerobbo wrote: »

Been there done that! They don't give a monkeys, they tell you to get on to the BPA, and complain!
If they stopped them for being non compliant, non of them would be able to gain access to the DVLA.

Hmm.oh well next stop MP then I guess.

esmerobbo

Sirdan wrote: »

Hmm.oh well next stop MP then I guess.

By all means email the DVLA the more the merrier, and you never know one day they may just do something.

sally06

esmerobbo wrote: »

http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa420/sirdan1/053.jpg

They must believe their own importance and believe they have authority to penalise. Makes you think how strong any court case would be from them, if their legal department cant even get the signage correct?

PMSL:D

I recieved a 'letter' the other day asking for £80:eek: no way jose!

JCook_3

I got nice letter from APCOA telling me I owe them £80 for "the alleged contravention of 04 - Dropping off or Picking up outside a designated area. My son jumped out of the car whilst the traffic was stationary. I hadn’t seen any signs, didn’t know it was an offence, wasn’t aware of the camera…. Blimey.

So being near Luton today I drove up to the airport to have a look. There is a sign on the roundabout near the hotels advising of the rules. It’s actually on the exit from the roundabout so the chances of seeing it was slight and stopping to read it would be impossible and/or dangerous. Then there is another just before the roundabout at the terminal. The same thing applies. You would actually need to be stationary to read it or risk not noticing a pedestrian crossing the road.

I had my camera with me so I could take a snap or two whilst crawling around the terminal roundabout in my car (I guess in an effort to muster some defence should it go to court) and was spotted by an APCOA “parking enforcement officer”. He was sat in his camera van which was parked on the pavement (now there is irony) and when he saw the camera proceed to chase me in his van. He would have been inches from the tail of my car and when I eventually pulled over he pulled in front of me to block my escape (I think he had been watching too much Sweeny). He then demanded to know who I was and what I was doing at Luton airport. If he wanted to be taken seriously in his little blue uniform the least he could have done was removed the earrings – having a couple of working brain cells would of helped his cause too!

Anyway, no doubt I am now going to get another nice letter from APCOA for pulling over in the bus lane following my non-arrestable offence this morning.

Could someone please tell me if these fines are still (I note the last comment is Jan this year) unenforceable? Is there a standard letter I could use in reply to APCOA – I really don’t want it going as far as a debt collection agency – although equally happy to ignore them too if necessary!