Luton airport parking fines

[sistermag]

I'm hoping that someone can help with something that happened this morning? I arrived on a flight from Spain to London Luton airport and was being collected by a family member. On the outward journey we found a drop off/pick up point that we used (although we had a to pay £1 for the privilege of getting out the car!). As it was our first time from Luton and we were unfamiliar with the area (plus i was travelling alone), we made the arrangement that once I had reclaimed my baggage and passed through customs, i would proceed to the pick up point, call my lift (who had parked up outside the airport to wait for my call) and literally jump in the car as there were signs saying that you had a maximum 10 minute stay or faced an £80 fine. I did exactly as we had arranged, my lift arrived, he pulled over, we put one small suitcase in the boot of the car and i hopped in the front. The whole process of this could have taken no more than 2 minutes. As we were leaving the drop off point, a barrier was down and an irate member of staff came right up to our window and started shouting at us that we were getting an £80 fine. When we asked why as we were clearly well within the time limit, he said that my lift had passed through a no entry sign and that the staff member had shouted and signalled at him to not go through it and felt that he had purposely been ignored (he hadn't- as i said, i had been stood waiting for my lift so if there was a man shouting at him not to enter then i would have clearly heard him!!) Also, we looked around and could not see a no entry sign (and why would there be one at a drop off point??) It was also the exact entrance we came in on the outward journey and had no problem at all? We explained all this to the man who then got very aggressive with us and said that the CCTV had picked my lift up going through the sign and that we were getting a fine. Surely he cannot do this??? Advice please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[factor-fiction]

I think that at my airport everyone has to pay for parking- even for a 2 minute pick up. There is no free 10 minute period. Is it not the same at Luton?
Did you ask to see the No Entry sign that they said he'd gone through, or ask to see the CCTV?
Is there a parking appeals procedure- he should follow that if he is confident that he didn't contravene any parking rules

[webbo3]

there is in Bristol factor30, you get a 10min drop off/pick up free.


Dave.

[sara3]

http://www.london-lut...-off-and-pick-up.html

[boxtops]

does this help, says where you should have been picked up?
http://answers.yahoo....20081022142221AAIWvbY

[4getmenot]

if it is on CCTV and he did go through the sign then I guess they can do it

[sistermag]

Well as this only happened this morning we have not recieved the fine yet but when we do, we will definitely be appealing. There were clear signs saying that there was a ten minute max wait and that we had to pay £1 to drop off and pick up (this is the same as Birmingham), which we did. There were absolutely no warnings that going through an no entry sign would incur a fine and besides, we didn't see a sign in the first place and it was the same entrance we used on the outward journey! I have googled to look in to the fine and have found that being caught going through a no entry sign by the police is a £60 fine so how can a civil company charge £80?! And surely civil parking comaplnies don't have the power to fine people for going through a no entry sign?

[Panic Button]

Boxtops's link is two years old, and I suspect it is no longer true.

I know now that they have introduced a £1 charge for the drop off point, as Sistermag says. There is however free drop off in the mid stay car park, a short bus rideaway. This is because of chronic traffic congestion at the terminal at busy times.

I don't know about pick ups at Luton so cannot advise.

However I know that at Stansted, which has a free drop off area, there are clear signs that pick up is not permitted there. Traffic wardens patrol to ensure this is enforced. I suspect that Luton also has a no pick up rule in the drop off area.

[sistermag]

Thanks Sara3 and boxtops- from those links, it looks as if we did everything by the book!! From the map, Sara3, we were in area 3 and i cannot see where we could have possibly been somewhere we shouldnt have been!! We were not obstructing a bus or taxi lane, we had not gone the wrong way through a one way! We were doing exactly as the zone states- picking up!!!

[factor-fiction]

So are you saying 'parking' for a pickup of less than 10 minutes is free?
According to sara3's link:
In addition to London Luton's Long Term car park, the airport offers the following parking, drop off and pick up options which are also detailed on the map below;

"1.Mid Term Car Park - FREE Drop Off, FREE Pick Up and FREE Parking for up to 60 minutes. 2 minute* FREE bus ride to the terminal.
2.Short Term Car Park -Drop Off, Pick Up and Parking £2.50 for 15 minutes, £4.50 for 30 minutes. FREE disabled parking for up to 60 minutes, 4 minute walk to the terminal.
3.Priority Set Down - Drop Off only. £1.00 for up to 10 minutes. Cars must not be left unattended. 2 minute walk to the terminal"
Was it defintely the free car park?

If so, then the only issue is whether he went through a no entry sign or contavened the rules in some other way. An appeal may be worth trying.

[jno]

sounds like you used the priority set-down area, and paid your £1, but it says set-down only, not pick-up. On the other hand, they're not saying that, they're saying you went through a sign. If that's what they claim, and you didn't, fight it. But next time use the medium-term car park and take a shuttle bus to and from.

[sara3]

I parked in the mid-term (free) car park last year and you need to be getting on a bus to get near the terminal. it's a big car park.

the priority set down is right outside the terminal. part of it is now for taxis only.. I assume you didn't stray into that bit? it's the closest to the terminal.

[sistermag]

I think looking through all your help that it looks like we did use the drop off point for picking up although i can honestly say that i never saw 1 sign saying drop off only. The point is that although we do appear to have made a (genuine) mistake, can a civil company enforce an £80 fine? Surely only the police can? And the signs only warn of an £80 fine for over-staying the 10 minute wait limit. And also, we cannot have been there for more than 2 minutes and as i was in talking distance to the attendant, i can safely say that he did not warn my lift not to come in as he said and that his 'request' was most definitely not purposely ignored?

[sara3]

ask for a copy of the CCTV..

[jno]

and if you can get phtotos of the approach road and any signs, that might help.

[sistermag]

Yeah, i think when i get the fine i will do that thanks! As the attendant told me it was all captured on CCTV then surely him shouting at my lift to not go through will have too?!!! I will also ask them to look at the CCTV for the attendants body language as he was very aggressive and i think that has what has made me so angry!!! I accept that we have appeared to have done something wrong but it was completely unintentional, it didn't hurt anyone or cause any problems so it wouldn't have hurt him to say "look, you're not allowed in here, remember that in the future" but he was flat out screaming at us!! I'll also ask for a copy of their fine list as the sign only warned against overstaying the 10 minutes and i think they would be obliged to warn if they fine for entering a restricted area!!

[dzug2]

Is this a case where private parking, etc, fines are unenforceable? I don't know, but worth investigating.

[desiceltic]

i had the same kind of incident today, and didn't see any no entry sign or cctv there, seems like i had the same parking attendant as you cause he was shouting on top of his voice. just wondering if you had receive any fine for the alleged parking offence ?!