Bristol Airport NTK - 104) Stopping to Pick-Up/Drop Off In a Restricted Zone

Coupon-mad

RRTechie said:

@Fruitcake: Thank you very much, will send that as reply to theirs.

Have not contacted national press....would they be even remotely interested in such issues? Maybe here I am being naive?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6365687/parking-stories-in-the-news-media#latest

That thread is on page 177. Mostly local papers but plenty of nationals.

Fruitcake

In my letter to my MP, John Penrose, about the lies told by VCS at Bristol Airport, I said,

As a regular user of Bristol Airport, and a concerned member of your constituency who lives under the airport flightpath, please will you confirm with Bristol Airport Limited that either,

(i) Airport Byelaws are not considered obsolete and therefore their agent, Vehicle Control Services Limited have made an untrue statement,

or,

(ii) Airport Byelaws are considered obsolete, Airport regulatory bodies and the Civil Aviation Authority have been informed, and all concerned are satisfied that airport operational safety and the safety of the general public has not been compromised.

Fruitcake

RRTechie said:

@Fruitcake: Thank you very much, will send that as reply to theirs.

Have not contacted national press....would they be even remotely interested in such issues? Maybe here I am being naive?

I guarantee they won't be interested if you don't mention it.

The PCN issue is secondary, but it has brought to light the very worrying statement told by an unregulated private parking company employed by the sub-contractor that operates the airport on behalf of the landowner. 

I think if you do contact the media, you shouldn't mention BA Ltd's reply to my MP, but instead point out the worrying safety aspects if VCS's statement to you is true because airports are not permitted to operate flights without byelaws in place. They cover the whole aspect of groundside and airside operations including refuelling, aircraft and vehicle movements, passenger safety, and much, much more. 
If the byelaws aren't in place, then the safety of the public using or visiting the airport, the people who work there, the neighbouring residents and businesses, and people like me living under the flightpath is at risk.

I would contact at least The Western Daily Press, The Bristol Evening Post, BBC Points West, and ITV West Country.

You might also want to mention that your MP hasn't responded despite the worryingly serious nature of VCS's claims.

RRTechie

As you state, my MP has not even bothered to respond despite multiple reminders!

I suspect he's adopting Head In Sand mode to ignore not wanting to get caught up in a struggle that could impact his position, though you'd have thought supporting the public would boost his position.

BikingBud

See below from here:



I would start ADR via their Complaints Policy and Procedure:

And then expect to follow up with:

The Aviation Adjudication Scheme
Bristol Airport is a member of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), one of the largest Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers in Europe. CEDR is a Civil Aviation Authority approved ADR provider. In some cases, where a resolution cannot be found between Bristol Airport and the customer, they will be able to take their case to CEDR. Details can be found at www.cedr.com/consumer/aviation.

With the fact that the agents of the airport are providing you with deliberately misleading information ie not subject to byelaws and that when challenged Bristol Airport did not correct this mis-information, or take ownership of something they knew and had admitted they knew to be "a wording anomaly" and also failed to correct, again, the aggressive behaviour of their agents only advising you of their perception of their agent's role and level of empowerment.

And if there is no joy go to the regulator, the CAA, and present the case to them.

Seems a little more work but it is a new path to beat and may provide some real benefits for others with current or future issues, I'm sure you will agree an investment to pay forward👍

Fruitcake

I like that idea @BikingBud

RRTechie

FYI I copied in CEDR to my recent complaint by email to Bristol Airport that resulted in my recent response that I posted above today...BA did not respond to my previous recent emails but seemingly when CEDR were Copied in they came up with that response. I always find it quite bizarre when a body such s the CEDR cannot even check their automated responses to ensure that they are syntactically correct...Hmmmm.

The CEDR responded with the following...

Thank you for your recent enquiry to Aviation. 

To use our service, you must firstly complete the Aviation Application Form. Applications can be made directly through our website, accessible at:https://www.cedr.com/consumer/aviation/complainnow/. Once you have completed the form on the portal, you will provided with a case reference number starting with a 6.

 Should you require Reasonable Adjustments under the 2010 Equality Act kindly contact our team on 020 7536 6099.

 You should then upload clear evidence of your attempt to resolve the matter with the company and any documents relevant to your complaint. It is your responsibility to provide any evidence you deem relevant, and the adjudicator’s final decision will be based on the information provided by both parties.

Before applying to use this service, please note the following:

·        If your complaint has been ongoing for less than 8 weeks - we are not able to accept an application unless the company has referred you to Aviation by providing you with a deadlock or final position letter. Any application received within this timeframe will be rejected.

·        If your complaint has been ongoing for 8 weeks or more - you can apply to Aviation immediately and you do not need a deadlock or final position letter.

·        If more than 12 months have passed since the company told you it cannot resolve your complaint - we are not able to accept applications over this time limit. You should contact your local Citizens Advice on how to pursue the matter further.

 

Please note that Aviation is not connected with Resolver and your Resolver case file will need to be attached as supporting evidence to our completed Application Form. Your case does not start by simply sending the email from Resolver.

 

Kind regards,

BikingBud

 Yes like most resolution services you will need to show you reached an impasse with the original complaint but I feel with these airport cases, vice wider private parking cases, there are very strong grounds to get a reversal or escalate to a competent and empowered agency who can change behaviours.

RRTechie

Today I received an interesting addition to the case...

A letter from a company named...Wait for it....Direct Collections Bailiffs Limited!

Their first paragraph reads...

"You have an unpaid parking charge and Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd (DCBL) have been instructed to collect the outstanding balance on behalf of our client. The parking charge was issued because the vehicle was parked in contravention of the terms and conditions outlined on the signage as agreed to by the driver when the vehicle entered and parked on private land."

Clearly intimating they are Bailiffs trying to use the scare tactic that Bailiffs have the power to come to your home and demand the cash/assets related to the alleged infringement.

What a horror set of companies VCS et al are. I can imagine this working most people scaring them into paying up. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the owner of VCS has setup this company purely as a scare tactic and an interim level to use for them to mitigate court costs!

Has anyone else received letters from DCBL?

Coupon-mad

Tens of thousands per year.  Classic intimidation.