Private parking or penalty charge????? Airports

[deks36]

Heathrow airport drop off though this could apply to any airport I expect..

 

Heathrow airport is private land and I have a response from the Met police stating that and that they are paid to police the land by Heathrow airport..

Now I accept a need to police it for security reasons and because in motoring terms a lot of traffic uses the area daily.

 

However on occasions the Met police decide they will clamp down on people picking up from the drop off areas which by the signs posted is an offence some signs state its an urban clearway

no stopping allowed except for dropping off so its fine to stop and unload but if you stop and load up thats an offence.

 

I had a friend (taxi driver) dropping off and loading up at the same time 1 in and 1 out and he was threatened with a ticket as according to the officer its an offence to pick up.. Its clear this is all about money for for the car park..

 

Would the police issuing you a ticket in this case be classed in the same way as private company ticket or would it be classed as a criminal offence given that its on private land and would the matter differ if the ticket was issued by an airport employed operative such as the parking wardens they employ.

 

I havent had a ticket but in some ways Id like to test the case in court as in my eyes its a private land parking matter and one the Police should not be involved in.

Edited August 19, 2018 by dx100uk
spacing

[king12345]

I always asked myself the same question.

To be safe I've always picked up from car park and paid the £4 which is extortionate.

Personally I don't think the police would get more involved than making you move on, but everything is possible when there's money to be made.

A minivan driver I know mentioned that there are cameras now at terminal 4, wonder who issues the penalties.

[honeybee13]

Is this covered under Heathrow's byelaw on parking?

 

 

HB

[Ethel Street]

Airports are private land but they are also covered by various statutory regulations which might mean the police can take "criminal" action. I doubt that Heathrow airport reimbursing the police cost has any relevance. So an airport isn't 'private' in quite the same way as a Tesco car park is. The airport regulations have been quoted here before by posters more knowledgeable than me, hopefully someone can give you more details.

[deks36]

Is this covered under Heathrow's byelaw on parking?

 

 

HB

 

In some ways yes I suppose it is and on reading the bye law which applies to my situation of being a private hire driver the argument would be in favour of Heathrow airport that is "3.29 Loading of private hire vehicles

No person shall cause or permit a Private Hire Vehicle to load passengers at the Airport other than in an

official car park."

 

however does this make it legal for the police to issue a ticket anyone picking up outside of an official car park?

[dx100uk]

no records/evidence here of police ever issuing a Penalty charge at an airport

[sgtbush]

All round Heathrow airport is covered by red routes ( urban clearway)

If you stop on a red route expect a penalty charge notice

[dx100uk]

nope its private land...twill be a speculative invoice

[deks36]

nope its private land...twill be a speculative invoice

 

And that is exactly as I see it.

 

 

Fortunately Ive never had one and unlikely to now Ive retired from the trade so unlikely to get one.

[ericsbrother]

I doubt if the police have the powers to issue a parking ticket in the way a council can and they cant be involved in the issuing of parking charge notices but they do have powers under lots of other bits of legislation to move a vehicle on, issue a FPN, seize the vehicle, shoot the driver etc.

 

I agree that it appears that they are involved in a racket to get people to use the pay for parking so you would have to address a complaint to the head of the Met and to the BAA to find out who has authorised their intervention.