Bristol Airport fines of £100 thrown into doubt over whether they can be enforced

The Bristol Airport is notorious for its harsh £100 parking fines, but doubt has been cast over whether the fees can be enforced. 

Drivers risk being slapped with the fee for stopping outside designated pickup zones. However, they may be entitled to a refund, The Guardian reports. 

Bristol Airport employs VCS, a contractor that enforces the parking regulations on the airport’s property. 

According to Steve Williamson, a former local government officer, Humberside has adopted bylaws under the Ariports Act 1986. He says the legislation indicates that the power to impose charges is held by courts, not by an airport’s contractor. 

When Mr. Williamson’s wife was fined for a parking fee at Humberside Airport, he claimed the airport dropped the charge after she pointed this out. The bylaws are similar in Bristol.

Without prosecution in the magistrates court, Bristol Airport may not be able to enforce their stiff parking fines. 

However, the airport has maintained that the fines are valid and enforceable. 

A spokesperson for Bristol airport told Guardian Money: “The airport has a legitimate confidential contract with the operator to manage the safety and operation of our roadways and car parks. We are confident that the contract operates in accordance with the agreement and the relevant legislation.”

Derek Millard-Smith, the solicitor to the British Parking Association, said that enforceability would likely depend on whether the roads are part of the zone governed by the airport’s bylaws. 

Divers have bemoaned the airport’s strict parking system for years, with some motorists receiving a £100 fine after stopping for as little as 34 seconds. 

The fines can be particularly frustrating when domestic flights can cost as little as £20, and drivers are forced to fork out five times their ticket price for minor parking infractions.