An elderly woman’s milestone 80th birthday celebration turned sour when her family was hit with parking penalties.
The pensioner’s son, Patrick Williamson, had dutifully paid for parking spaces for both his mother, Barbara Williamson and brother at a car park on Anlaby Road, adjacent to Hull railway station, on May 28.
Despite believing they had done everything correctly, the family later discovered they had fallen foul of a confusing dual-operator system at the site.
The mix-up resulted in penalty notices demanding up to £100 per vehicle from Smart Parking Ltd, casting a shadow over what should have been a joyous occasion.
The car park where the incident occurred operates under an unusual arrangement, with two separate companies managing different sections of the same site.
APCOA controls 51 spaces whilst Smart Parking Ltd oversees 50 spaces, though both areas share a common entrance and exit point.
The distinction between the two zones relies on raised kerbs and different coloured bay markings.
Mr Williamson explained that upon arrival, they noticed APCOA signage at the entrance and his mother parked beside an APCOA sign, leading him to use that company’s app for payment.
The car park near Hull Railway Station
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Unfortunately, the family had actually occupied bays belonging to Smart Parking Ltd, resulting in the subsequent fines issued on June 12 for non-payment.
The family’s attempts to challenge the penalties proved fruitless.
Mr Williamson submitted appeals on behalf of his mother and brother.
However, Smart Parking Ltd rejected them after what they described as detailed consideration, maintaining the charges were valid.
The family’s attempts to challenge the penalties at the Hull Car Park proved fruitless
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A subsequent appeal to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS) in July also failed.
The fines were eventually reduced to £60 each, but only after local MP Karl Turner wrote to the parking company requesting the charges be cancelled or lowered.
“It was my mum’s 80th birthday party, but now all she’s thinking about is this fine,” Mr Williamson said, expressing frustration at the situation’s impact on his mother.
She also voiced her dismay at the situation.
“You can’t understand the signage. It’s absolutely ridiculous,” she said. “We did nothing wrong. [The fines] ruined the evening.”
Mr Williamson raised concerns about the wider implications, questioning how many others might face similar confusion.
“Any single car park should just have one car park operator,” he stated.
“How many other people will be caught out by this, it could be hundreds?”
In response, APCOA and TransPennine Express issued a joint statement asserting that multiple signs throughout their section direct customers to appropriate payment methods.
The IAS acknowledged the family’s concerns and referred them to the International Parking Community compliance team for investigation.
They confirmed they take signage clarity issues seriously.