Couple who are 10th to be slapped with £100 fine at ‘rip off’ East Midlands Airport petrol station slam ‘draconian’ parking rules
A FURIOUS couple have branded East Midland Airport's parking rules "draconian" after they were slapped with a £100 fine.
Saj Sayani. 47, says he agreed to meet his wife at the airport's BP petrol station rather than the car park - but was horrified when he received a letter demanding £100 for breaking parking rules.
Saj, a regular traveller says he had phoned his wife and told her he was going to land 15 minutes earlier than planned.
After mentioning she needed petrol, Saj agreed to meet her at a local BP petrol station around 10.15 pm on August 7.
'GROSSLY UNFAIR'
The couple say they didn't see any of the signs warning of a fine for picking up passengers at the petrol station.
However, weeks later on August 22 the couple received a fine for £100.
Saj said: "If this regime is in place, the signs should be clearer and people warned more effectively.
"The signs are actually at knee height next to each petrol pump, and you have to find them to read them.
"So this seems like an attempt to catch out and profit from people rather than warn them.
"I think this is grossly unfair as we were using the petrol for the correct purpose - to fill up - albeit we were not aware of the draconian and unfair rules that are in operation there.
"The airport make it impossible for you to park without it being extortionate for the time you are allowed to wait."
In response to the complaint, Vehicle Control Services said: "There is signage at the Fuel Station warning motorists that there is "Strictly No Drop Off or Pick Up at the Fuel Pumps".
TENTH FINE SO FAR
But it's not the first time the petrol station has been at the centre of controversy.
Just last week, Ryan Smith, 33, became the ninth person to claim to be ripped-off at East Midlands Airport.
He was slapped with two £100 fines in just two hours after asking for directions and filling up petrol, it has been claimed.
And just two days before Ryan's fine, 69-year-old Paul Hayes was slammed with a £100 fine after filling up his car at a notorious East Midlands Airport petrol station.
Paul was on his way back from a family meal when he was slapped with the controversial fine that has been dished out to a multitude of unlucky drivers.
And earlier on in August, a mum who picked up her daughter at the petrol station hit out at the "disgusting" fine after being charged £60 when her daughter was caught on CCTV loading her suitcase into the boot.
'NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BUSINESS'
However, petrol station bosses hit back with a statement after the spate of fines.
The statement reads: "East Midlands Airport management has introduced red routes and recently increased the price to park in the Rapid Drop-Off point to £3 for 10 minutes, in order to improve the flow of traffic around the airport estate.
"In order to avoid paying to park, some passengers and taxi companies are using the airport filling station, located approximately 100 yards from the terminal, as a pick up and drop off point.
"Increasingly, this is having a negative impact on the business, which can no longer be ignored.
"Additionally, there is a serious health and safety concern, as the backlog of traffic onto the main road could potentially hinder the emergency services.
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"For these reasons, the airport filling station has sought the help of Vehicle Control Services – an agency who are responsible for monitoring and responding to parking abuses across the whole airport – to introduce a management scheme to restrict parking at the forecourt to genuine customers only.
"Using CCTV, Vehicle Control Services monitors vehicles using the forecourt at any time.
"Signs are clearly positioned and displayed around the entire forecourt, including on every single pump, informing motorists that if they stop to pick up or drop off a passenger, irrespective of whether they subsequently use the filling station’s facilities, they will be liable to receive a £100 fine served upon the offending vehicle."
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