APCOA Edinburgh Waverley

iscrimger

Yesterday I parked at an APCOA car park (Edinburgh Waverley) for the first time. I was there for 12 hours. Collected my ticket from the machine on the way in and the gate opened.

When I left I paid at the machine in the train station and went to the exit. (after de-icing my car which looked like a scene from Disney's Frozen.) I got to the exit and my drivers window was frozen shut, it did eventually open and I went to put my ticket into the machine to open the gate but the machine displayed a message telling me to clear the gate. I looked round and the gate had opened without the ticket. I put the ticket down and drove on before the gate closed and damaged my car. The ticket is still in my car.

My question is can I now expect a PCN from APCOA?

When I drove off it occurred to me that the gate perhaps always opens when it senses a car, then checks if a ticket was entered or if the cars registration has a season ticket/pass?

Umkomaas

No idea - just wait and see - no previous similar cases to my knowledge.

In Scotland the PPC can only pursue the driver - and there's no way poking a ticket into a machine and zipping under a barrier will ever reveal who the driver was.

Please don't ask about the PPC analysing CCTV footage - if you think this you've had too many viewings of The X Files .

Just ignore anything coming your way from APCOA; never reveal who the driver was - especially in Scotland (and NI).

Relax, but if you want/need reassurance at any future stage in this, come back - HTH

iscrimger

I know they have cameras and number plate recognition so my car will have been seen.

My ticket never saw the machine and the barrier must have been up long before the window went down!

Coupon-mad

Doesn't matter, it's Scotland and we would tell you to ignore APCOA if you get a PCN. End of story, you have no appeal and you have no keeper liability in Scotland. Keep schtumm - it would be madness to appeal and give away who was driving - absolute numptiness, so don't be tempted!

Umkomaas

I know they have cameras and number plate recognition so my car will have been seen.

APCOA most certainly won't have both at that site! They have no interest in watching any car/person movement; just in and out number plates.

In any case there's no way your car could possibly identify any driver (essential in Scotland) - unless there's been some new miracle invention!

The_Slithy_Tove

If the car park is barrier controlled, it's unlikely they'll also have ANPR. The cameras will be normal CCTV to keep an eye on things, and so they can see the car if you need to call for assistance at the barrier. Even if they review the CCTV, it could be that your number plates were as frosted as the rest of the car, rendering them unreadable :-)

iscrimger

It definitely has ANPR as I've been in a car with a parking pass who confirmed it uses ANPR and he exited without using a ticket.

It sits just next to the barrier. A white square pole with reflectors each side of the camera just a few feet off the ground. I'm sure it has them at the entrance as well.

By chance I'll be there again tomorrow so I'll see what happens. It just seems odd the exit barrier would raise without the ticket.