Man fuming over fine for ‘waiting too long’

A man has been left astonished after being hit with a hefty fine following his attempt to collect a passenger from a Westcountry train station.

Giles Richards had driven from London and was heading to Devon when he stopped in Yeovil Junction station. He found the train he was expecting to arrive had been delayed – which he says meant that he exceeded the 20-minute free waiting period at the station car park operated by APCOA Parking.

After initially being fined £50, which subsequently increased to £85, APCOA has since referred his case to debt collectors, leaving Mr Richards facing a £155 penalty for non-payment.

Refusing to settle the fine, he argues that the car park signage is unclear, considers the fines issued in light of train delays as unfair, and points out that there are no alternate waiting areas at Yeovil station,reports SomersetLive.

Mr Richards expressed his frustration: “I have no issue with paying for car parks in general, however I feel as though on this occasion APCOA is acting in a predatory and unjust manner, and this is something which is occurring up and down the country.

“I do not believe it is morally justifiable to issue fines to people who are waiting for passengers on delayed trains. Especially considering, at Yeovil Junction station there is literally nowhere else to wait except the station car park.”

Elaborating on the layout of the area, he added, “The station is off the main road between Yeovil and Stowford. The approach to the station is double yellow lined all the way up to the car park entrance and the car park services nothing except the station. You are given no other option but to use their car park.”

“I have appealed my fine, which was rejected by APCOA, and have also written to South Western Railway to ask them to intervene, as they are ultimately the landlords. They responded saying it was nothing to do with them and I would need to take it up with APCOA.”

APCOA said in a statement: “Visitors to Yeovil Junction are offered a 20 minute drop off/pick up grace period, free of charge. Customers needing to stay beyond this period should purchase a ticket in Yeovil Station’s car park. Whilst we understand that trains can sometimes be delayed, this customer arrived over 20 minutes before the train was due to arrive, so would have exceeded the permitted grace period anyway. Time limits have to be used in drop off and pick up areas to ensure that they remain available for other motorists.”

South Western Railways said: “Our colleagues at APCOA have sent me a copy of the detailed response that they sent to you and we have nothing to add to what they have said.”

Mr Richards is continuing to fight the fine and is refusing to pay on the grounds it is not fair to him or other motorists who use the train station.

In response to APCOA’s statement he said: “The crux of APCOA’s argument appears to be that I arrived over 20 minutes before the train I was meeting was scheduled. I arrived 23 minutes before the train. So I am now being pursued by both APCOA and a debt collection agency to the tune of £155 over a matter of 3 minutes.”

“That cannot be considered fair. Firstly, in my case, I had driven 140 miles from London and had no previous knowledge of the terms and conditions of the car park, which I later discovered are at the exit of the car park, rather than the entrance.”