Kevin Smith, a 68-year-old Clifton resident, has been slapped with £200 in parking penalties from East Midlands Airport – even though he paid the required fees for both his drop-off and collection journeys. The grandfather says he is “confused” and “unfairly treated” after following the app-based payment process exactly as he understood it.
Mr Smith used the airport’s rapid drop-off zone twice: once on June 30 to take his son to catch a flight, and again later to collect him. For each visit, he paid £5 using the official airport app – the same amount charged for up to 15 minutes of parking. His first visit lasted nine minutes, his second six minutes, so both were within the free-parking threshold.
How the rapid drop-off zone works
East Midlands Airport’s rapid drop-off area operates with a barrier-free ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) camera system. Motorists can pull up directly outside the terminal building, but they are charged £5 for up to 15 minutes, then an additional £1 for every minute afterwards, up to a maximum of half an hour. No cash or on-site payment machines are available; drivers must pay online or by telephone by midnight the day after their visit.
The airport advises customers to download its app or use the website to register their vehicle and make payment. According to the Nottingham Post, the app includes a notice stating that customers must ensure they have vacated the forecourt before completing their payment.
What went wrong for Mr Smith
Mr Smith paid for both his drop-off and collection using the app, with the £5 fee leaving his bank account on each occasion. Yet he still received two parking penalty notices – £100 each, reduced to £60 each if settled within 14 days. The total demanded: £200.
The Nottingham Post understands the penalties were issued because Mr Smith made his payment while he was still physically inside the rapid drop-off zone. The app’s terms state that payment should only be made after the vehicle has left the area. Mr Smith, however, insists he was never made aware of this requirement.
“They took the money on both occasions for the rapid drop-off. We paid on the app, we followed the rules, the money left the account and then they had the cheek to give me £60 fines,” Mr Smith told the Nottingham Post. “This isn't just about me, but about people who might not have a phone or who are just stuck in a bit of a bubble. I think it's so unfair.”
He added: “It was my first time going to East Midlands Airport and it was very confusing. I think they need to make it a lot simpler for people.”
Airport and APCOA respond
An East Midlands Airport spokesperson defended the system, saying: “We introduced an improved layout and clear signage last year which we're satisfied provides a better customer experience.”
A spokesperson for APCOA, the parking company that manages the enforcement, said: “Customers are advised on the payment screen that vehicles must have left the drop off area before a payment is made. Customers then have until midnight the following day to pay for their visit.”
Fighting the fine
Mr Smith’s first penalty has already been cancelled by APCOA, and he is awaiting a response regarding the second. But he remains defiant: “I will not pay and I will fight it in court if I have to.”
The case highlights a potential pitfall for less tech-savvy drivers, who may not notice the app’s fine print. Consumer advocates argue that parking operators must make such conditions more prominent, especially for elderly users or those unfamiliar with smartphone payment systems.
