Taxi drivers from Brighton and Hove are calling out NCP for what they claim are wrongly issued Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) at Gatwick Airport — alleging that the company’s AutoPay and number-plate recognition systems are failing repeatedly.
Members of the United Taxi Drivers’ Association say they’ve been hit with PCNs despite having valid AutoPay accounts, which are meant to automatically process payment when a vehicle enters and exits the airport.
“Every day without fail” — drivers say PCNs arrive constantly
Mohammed Ahmed, chairman of the association which represents cabbies across Sussex, said drivers are losing faith in the system:
“The issues have been so bad recently. We have a WhatsApp group of hundreds of drivers and every day without fail there is a message saying they’ve been issued a parking charge for entering and leaving Gatwick Airport.”
“It just discourages the trade from taking trips to Gatwick. We don’t have this issue at Heathrow, Luton or Stansted – so why can’t the NCP and the airport get it right?”
Ahmed said that the AutoPay app often fails to charge drivers correctly, leading to fines that can cost as much as an entire journey from Brighton to Gatwick.
“Not fit for purpose” — calls for NCP to stop issuing unfair fines
Andrew Peters, of the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association, described the AutoPay system as “not fit for purpose” and said the PCNs “lack common sense”.
“Even though drivers have signed up for AutoPay believing that payments will automatically be made, this has proved not to be the case and parking penalty notices are still being sent out.”
“NCP should stop sending PCNs where they have failed to apply the parking fee to anyone subscribed to AutoPay.”
He also encouraged all affected drivers to appeal every PCN they receive, adding:
“I can’t see any court being sympathetic to a company that relies on poor technology.”
Gatwick acknowledges problems, NCP denies wider faults
A London Gatwick spokesperson said the airport is “working with NCP to ensure vehicles are correctly recognised upon entry and exit” and that “any incorrectly issued PCNs will be cancelled directly through NCP”.
They added that AutoPay users should make sure their vehicle and payment details remain up to date in their account.
However, NCP said it “does not recognise any wider issues” with its camera systems and remains “confident” in its payment technology — despite multiple examples provided by drivers showing repeated recognition failures.
Growing frustration among Sussex drivers
Local cab drivers say the constant stream of fines is taking a toll on their work. Some have even chosen to avoid Gatwick altogether until the issue is resolved. Others have warned that the problem could escalate into a trade boycott if not addressed soon.
With Gatwick being a key hub for airport transfers in the South East, trade groups say these persistent PCN problems threaten to drive business elsewhere.
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