APCOA Luton Airport -just when you thought they could not get any more stupid.

esmerobbo

Although they call it ANPR or NPR it is nothing of the sort its a CCTV which either records permanently or is movement activated. APCOA then use the electronic link to request the keepers details. They still have to prove reasonable cause. Or their supposed to!!

Its not automated the PPC has to request it with the reasonable cause and DVLA have to sanction their request! However seeing over 1 million electronic requests were made last year, how hard did DVLA examine the reasonable cause??

Coupon-mad

Alyraqs wrote: »

Thanks everybody, I'll let you all know what evidence -if any- I get.
Now that I have a better understanding about this issue, I intend to write to the DVLA about the release of personal data. I am particularly sensitive about this as my identity was "stolen" a couple of years ago and £2000 of goods were ordered for delivery to Nigeria. Through a pure fluke, I discovered the fraud on the day the orders were placed and was able to stop them in their tracks, but I had to jump through quite a few hurdles to prove that I was the account holder and not the scammers!

It seems to me that the DVLA is playing "fast and loose" with our personal data and they need to have their wings clipped. Does anyone know if the personal data form the DVLA to these private parking companies is handled automatically? I ask because according the Data Protection Act:
" The right of subject access allows an individual access to information about the reasoning behind any decisions taken by automated means"
"even if they have not given notice, an individual should be informed when such a decision has been taken "

Does anyone know if a FOI request has been made to the DVLA about the number of complaints received on the release of personal data to private parking companies?
Has anyone written to the ICO? If so, what was the outcome?

Sorry for so many questions, but I am just starting to get my teeth into this.
Regards

Consumer Action Group have got their teeth into this DVLA issue:

linky

And this thread on MSE covered the issue as well, with links & info:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/42652510#Comment_42652510

Also another MSE member has been in contact with the DVLA about the issue. He pm'd me a while back saying how he had pointed out to the DVLA that PPCs do NOT have 'reasonable cause' to obtain a registered keeper's details (because the driver is the only one who can possibly be alleged to have been party to any 'contract' with scumbag PPCs).

Shockingly, the DVLA initial reply was that they actually thought the Registered Keeper WAS responsible! I think it was in a phone call so the member has no written record of this - but it shows the ignorance of the DVLA.

peter_the_piper

""Consumer Action Group have got their teeth into this DVLA issue:""

Unfortunately the last post was July 2010

esmerobbo

I had this argument with DVLA I stated it was driver responsibility, I will try and dig the letter out and post it up.

Basically their response was Reasonable cause was satisfied because the vehicle was parked on private land and a payment for services was not forthcoming. They deemed it reasonable that the PPC could contact the keeper to ask who was responsible for the charge.

When I challenged them about many of the PPC's stating the keeper was responsible, they said I should take it up with the BPA!

peter_the_piper

So the BPA has the same legality as the APCO I assume?

Sirdan

trisontana wrote: »

From post#1:-

No doubt APCOA will say that it is the alleged act of a passenger alighting from the vehicle when it is stopped at the red light that is the actual breach.

But so what? the car was stopped at a traffic light. Other people have had tickets for letting out passengers when their car has been stopped in a traffic jam near a roundabout. APCOA are indeed idiots.

Is it legal for a driver to physically prevent the passenger from leaving the vehicle ??
I suspect not.
So in these cases the driver has not "dropped off" at all.. because dropping off is the act of stopping for the express purpose of letting the passenger out.
If you stop for another purpose and your passenger elects to leave (despite your request for him/her not to ) have you REALLY dropped off and breached the contract ..somehow I rather think not !!
The passenger is an individual who is responsible for their own actions ,for the driver to be held responsible is ridiculous!! It's like...errrr......trying to hold a keeper respnsible for the actions of another driver ?

The more I think about it the more obvious it becomes ...stopping because of traffic jam or traffic lights or even a give way line is not dropping off...presumabaly APCOA would tell us we must all have central locking and we must lock our passengers in ..but I suspect that locking a passenger into the vehicle against their will is far more of a crime than any rubbish that APCOA make up !!

Picking up ? You stop for a traffic related reason..your pick up spots you and whilst you are still stationary hops in ..has the driver stopped expressly to pick up ..er no ! Do APCOA have a right to require to keep your car doors locked whilst on their road ...er no !

Only the scamming fraudsters at APCOA could describe an area that has traffic lights,a yellow box,give way lines and a couple of roundabouts as a "no stopping area" ..the requirements to stop other than to pick up or drop off are plentiful.

As for that traffic jam...well what to do the clock is ticking ..you're late ..the traffic is at it's usual stand still ...the check-in will close before you get to the drop off....yes you should have planned ...but no one expects the traffic to back up like it does....your passenger wants to get out while the car is stuck in traffic ..he has no bags ..the terminal is as close as the drop off and you can walk it in two minutes ...BUT you have to imprison your passenger for fear of an £80 invoice!!

WAKE UP LUTON AIRPORT -GET RID OF APCOA -GET RID OF THE CHARGE TO DROP OFF -AND SPEND SOME BLOODY MONEY ON IMPROVING THE ROAD LAYOUTS !!!!

PS APCOA are not idiots ,they know fine well that they are making this up as they go along ..and people still fall for it !

trisontana

It's like those scenes from Trigger Happy TV where a fake traffic warden steps out into the traffic, stops a motorist and then tickets him for illegal parking, or he books a bus when it stops at a bus-stop.

Kite2010

APCOA would rather your passenger misses his/her flight than for him or her to jump out when the driver is caught in a traffic jam

Sirdan

Kite2010 wrote: »

APCOA would rather your passenger misses his/her flight than for him or her to jump out when the driver is caught in a traffic jam

Quite so.

I don;t have a problem with them trying to prevent people from stopping in obstructive / dangerous places. Nor indeed should people stopped in the traffic jam allow the unloading of numerous pieces of large baggage items into the road ..quite often when this is happening the traffic in front starts moving again.

What is needed is proper sensible enforcement but that would require two things :-

1) A customers service orientated enforcement regime with it's primary focus on preventing avoidable obstructive / dangerous / selfish loading and unloading ...as opposed to the APCOA approach which is ALL about making as much money as possible.

2) Employing staff with a modicum of intelligence who can sensibly apply the above , backed by a sensible fair and proper adjudicator of any appeals lodged.

Or they could just change the road back to a public one (as it was for decades previously) and let the council try and sort it out ...I suspect people would be less inclined to flout the rules if they knew they were getting a real enforceable Council PCN !

itsdavid

Luton airport, bring back Lorraine Chase, anyone remember her??