Posted on the 1st October 2026 in PHTM News
HOCKLEY PRIVATE HIRE FIRM HIT WITH £1,600 IN SOUTHEND AIRPORT PARKING FINES
A south Essex private hire firm owner is warning that Southend Airport's parking system could break his business after accumulating £1,600 in fines.
Jamie Webb, who runs Hockley-based Eddies Cars, explained that his drivers have been repeatedly caught out by the airport's barrier-less drop-off zone. Because motorists have to remember to pay an £8 charge online after using the facility, the lack of an automatic payment system has led to missed payments and multiple £100 penalty notices.
Mr Webb described the situation as an "admin nightmare" for his local PH company, which relies heavily on airport transfers for customers catching early-morning flights before local trains begin running.
Comparing Southend to other airports such as Gatwick and Stansted, Mr Webb noted that they automatically deduct parking charges from prepaid online accounts. He believes Southend Airport should adopt a similar setup, or a scheme like the Dartford Crossing payment system, to support local private hire operators who make hundreds of journeys every year.
He also warned that congestion is rising because waiting space near the drop-off zone is limited, forcing drivers to park in surrounding residential streets while waiting for passengers.
Mr Webb stressed the financial strain of the penalties, stating: “We have been fined a total of £1,600 in the last year. It is going to break the company.” He added: “We are going to end up having to say we are not going to Southend Airport, and if we do that we will lose out on a lot of money.”
A spokesperson for Southend Airport defended the barrierless setup while acknowledging the difficulties faced by private hire firms.
The spokesman said: “The introduction of new car parking products at Southend Airport has gone well, with the vast majority of our customers finding the new barrierless systems easy and efficient to use.
"We do however accept that the changes in parking rules can create problems for some of our users, and indeed this issue has been raised at other forums to the airport. We have committed to investigating improvements to some of the issues raised by local taxi firms with our contracted operator Excel Parking Services.”
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