Manchester Airport targets parking ‘tailgate cheats’
15.07.10
Manchester Airport is installing cameras in its car parks after a surge in drivers dodging parking fees, the Manchester Evening News reports. The cameras, which check number plates, are being brought in after a surge in people cheating the system. A spot check found 27 drivers in just one hour ‘tailgating' behind other vehicles to get under the barrier and avoid paying car park charges.
The newspaper reports that some passengers are leaving their vehicles for up to a fortnight while they go on holiday then sneaking out to avoid the £27 a day fee. The airport believes it is losing thousands of pounds in unpaid fees, but also fear it is only a matter of time before there is a serious crash.
The airport – which made more than £51m in car parking charges in 2008-09 – has teamed up with car park enforcement agency Parking Eye to launch the crackdown from next month. The automatic number plate recognition cameras will be paid for by Parking Eye and will take the details of every car entering and leaving the car park. Drivers caught dodging fees will be sent notices of £90 fines, which rise to £120 if not paid within 18 days or drop to £60 if paid within 14 days. Anyone who fails to pay will be pursued through the courts.
Profits from the scheme will be given to Parking Eye but the airport will recover lost ticket revenue and is expecting to make more money in parking fees. Sarah Barrett, from the airport, told the newspaper: ‘The aim of the project is not to punish our customers but to stop those motorists who park their cars on our premises and leave without paying the tariff for their stay. We want to be fair to all drivers parking at the airport so these new measures are aimed only at rogue drivers.'
‘This new project will allow us to spot them and ensure our parking charges remain consistent without hiking up the price for all. We want to provide the best parking facilities for legitimate customers and the parking regulations are clearly displayed at the entrances around the car parks.’
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