Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers slam NCP for parking charges at Gatwick Airport

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/2553506 ... k-airport/

Taxi drivers have called out the NCP for parking charges issued at a major airport.

The cabbies from Brighton and Hove have claimed that NCP has wrongfully issued parking fines due to drivers entering and exiting Gatwick Airport due to their “own system” and camera recognition being “terrible”.

Mohammed Ahmed, chairman for United Taxi Driver’s Association, which represent cabbies from across Sussex has said it has gotten to the point where it “discourages” drivers from taking trips to the airport.

He said: “The issues have been so bad recently.

“We have a WhatsApp group of hundreds of drivers and everyday without fail there is a message saying they have been issued a parking charge for entering and leaving Gatwick Airport.

“It just discourages the traders from taking trips to Gatwick, we don’t have this issue at Heathrow, Luton or Stanstead – so why can’t the NCP and the airport get it right?”

Mr Ahmed explained that drivers subscribe to an AutoPay app with NCP that takes automatic payments each time the vehicles registration is picked up as entering and leaving the airport by a camera.

He added that the number of times a payment was not taken was “astronomical”.

“What’s the point of us subscribing to the app if we are just going to get fined for doing nothing wrong?

“These aren’t miniscule charges either, they could be worth the cost of a whole trip from Brighton to Gatwick.”

When London Gatwick was approached for comment on what improvement will be made to the cameras, it said that it would be “working to upgrade” the camera systems at the drop-off and pick-up points.

A spokesman said: “We are working with our parking provider, NCP, to ensure vehicles are correctly recognised upon entry and exit from the airport.

“Any incorrectly issued PCNs (Parking Charge Notices) will be cancelled directly through NCP.

"We also advise Autopay users to keep their vehicle, and payment details up to date through their Autopay account."

NCP said that it does not recognise any “wider issues” with their camera systems when it was provided with examples of three differing parking charges issued with all in relation to vehicle recognition.

It also stated that it was “confident” with its payment systems.

Andrew Peters who is part of the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association, which represents taxi drivers from across the city, said that the NCP AutoPay system is not “fit for purpose” and that the parking charges issued “lack common sense”.

He said: “Even though drivers have signed up for AutoPay believing that payments for parking will automatically be paid, this has proved not to be the case and parking penalty notices are sent out.

“I would believe the argument that NCP would put forward is that drivers that subscribe to the AutoPay system should check themselves that the payment has been applied and deducted from the driver’s bank accounts.

“As the system is evidently not fit for purpose, then NCP should stop sending out PCNs where they have failed to apply the parking fee to anyone subscribed to the AutoPay system.

“Lastly, I would advise anyone who is subscribed to the AutoPay system that is sent a PCN from NCP to appeal in the first place and then take it all the way as I cannot see any court being sympathetic to a accompany that relies on poor technology.”

Now, to some, including those mentioned in the article, this situation is a nightmare, with drivers getting nasty letters from the parking firm demanding payments, when the drivers are signed up to the autopay system.

However, to those like me, it's absolutely fantastic. I have auto-pay, and it works most of the time, taking my hard-earned money from me ( ). But what happens when the autopay doesn't work is you get a letter in the post after about a month.

Because it arrives after the time laid down in the 2012 PoFA (14 days), the registered keeper isn't required to name the driver. If the driver is not known, then the scam parking firm can't pursue anyone.

So my advice to anyone receiving these letters is to acknowledge receipt as the keeper, but as the letter is outside the timescale laid down in the act, decline to name the driver. That will be the end of it, as it has been for me a few dozen times.

If the letter arrives within 14 days (it never does), then mention you have autopay and they will just debit the normal amount.

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IDFIMH