AIRPORT AILMENTS GATWICK AIRPORT DRIVERS PROTEST
PHV drivers at Gatwick Airport, organised by Unite the Union, staged a protest on 9 October, claiming that Uber is “destroying local livelihoods” by circumventing local licensing rules in Crawley. The drivers claim that London- registered Uber cars are operating in Crawley and poaching pas- sengers from Gatwick Airport without being subject to the town’s stricter licensing restrictions. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, accused Gatwick Airport of “partnering with a race-to-the- bottom firm like Uber, which is destroying local livelihoods and damaging Crawley’s economy. Ms Graham urged the government
OVER UBER’S LOCAL LICENSING LOOPHOLES legal substance.”
to “close the loopholes in legis- lation,” stating: “Uber’s
l A Gatwick spokesperson stated they “recognise the importance of fair competition” saying their official taxi partner, Airport Cars, operates from dedicated bays outside the terminals, while Uber and other PHVs designated pick-up zones.
use side-
stepping of local licensing laws is hurting workers and putting passengers at risk.” Responses to the protest: l Crawley BC previously dismissed a similar complaint in March, concluding after legal advice that there was “no wrongdoing” and drivers’ claims “lacked any
l An Uber spokesperson said the company “abides by the same regulations as all other PH operators,” adding this was “sup- ported by an independent review by Crawley Borough Council.” The protest marked the start of a new campaign which Unite said aimed to fix the disadvantage it said its members were at.
TAXI DRIVERS CRITICISE NCP OVER
Brighton cabbies are “slamming” NCP for what they
PARKING CHARGE ISSUES AT GATWICK AIRPORT claim are
wrongfully issued PCNs at Gatwick Airport. They allege that fines result from NCP’s “own system” and “terrible” camera recognition. Mohammed Ahmed, chairman for the United Taxi Driver’s Association, stated the issue “discourages” drivers from taking trips to the airport: “We have a WhatsApp group of hundreds of drivers and every day without fail there’s a message saying they have been issued a PCN for entering and leaving Gatwick Airport.” “We don’t have this issue at Heathrow, Luton or Stansted – so why can’t the NCP and the airport get it right?” Drivers subscribe to the NCP
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AutoPay app, which is meant to automatically take payment when a vehicle’s registration is picked up by a camera upon entry and exit. Mr. Ahmed called the number of times payment wasn’t taken as “astronomical” and questioned the system’s value: “What’s the point of us subscribing to the app if we’re getting fined for doing nothing wrong? These aren’t miniscule charges either, they
could be
worth the cost of a whole trip from Brighton to Gatwick.” Andrew Peters of the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association also called the system “not fit for purpose” and said the PCNs “lack common sense.”
He advises that NCP “should stop sending out PCNs where they have
failed to apply the parking fee to anyone subscribed to the AutoPay system.” London Gatwick responded by saying it would be “working to upgrade” the camera systems and confirmed they are “working with our parking provider, NCP, to ensure vehicles are correctly recognised upon entry and exit from the airport.” A spokesman added: “Any incorrectly issued PCNs will be cancelled directly through NCP.” However, NCP said it “does not recognise any wider issues” with its camera systems and stated it was “confident” in its payment systems, despite being given examples of multiple parking charges related to vehicle recognition.
NOVEMBER 2025 PHTM
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