The popular petrol stations have introduced set time limits to reduce congestion on forecourts and stop people using the areas as car parks. However, the policy was described as “ridiculous” by multiple Express readers on Facebook as motorists rallied against the move to introduce the charges.
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You can be fined £100 today for staying too long at a petrol station
One user urged motorists to avoid the two retailers permanently after the charges were introduced as another angry motorist said the companies were trying to punish their customers.
The stations have warned motorists could be charged up to £1,000 for failing to comply with the strict guidelines despite using services such as a shop or car wash.
BP has said they are capping visitors stays at 30 minutes as Shell customers are only allowed 20 minutes in the service station.
A picture of a BP sign also revealed motorists were not allowed to return to the petrol station for up to four hours after their previous visit.
The charges are legal as long as companies advertise the policy clearly around the petrol station.
However, Express readers attacked the policy with many correctly identifying they would not be legally forced to pay fines as petrol stations are private property.
One reader commented: “This type of invite has about as much validity as if you were to send one to the post office because the postman stood in front of your door too long while delivering letters.”
Another backed up the claims, adding: “Absolute rubbish, its the same old scare tactic used by big business, none of which have the weight of law behind them, they operate on legislation.
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“Best way of dealing with these tickets, bin them and don’t enter into correspondence, these people are crooks.
Petrol stations and other private companies can charge motorists if they break the rules of the establishment.
However, these charges are considered private parking fines and are not legally enforceable fees issued by council authorities or the police.
These charges can be argued and could become invalid if motorists have evidence that signs advertising the policy were not clear enough.
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The RAC Foundation has revealed private parking fines were boosted by one million in 2019 as a total of 6.81million bills were issued.
The British Parking Association (BPA) confirmed motorists should appeal a private fine if they do not agree with the terms.
BPA experts also urged motorists to appeal the fine if visitors were not given a ten minute grace period before a fine was applied.
All private companies signed up to the BPA musta allow mottos ten minutes to return before applying fines and failure to comply with this could see the charge become invalid.
Some Express readers defended the petrol stations decision to issue the charges due to selfish customers which often blocked the forecourts.
One user posted: “I do object to being forced to wait in the queue for people who use their phones in their car before and after filling their tanks! Before driving off!”
Another dded motorists would be out in minutes if petrol stations did not include added features such as coffee machines and shops.
Another road user said: “It is infuriating for motorists who just want to fuel up, pay and go to find no pumps available and the driver in the shop, browsing the shelves.”
Speaking to the Mirror, Shell confirmed motorists who were likely to exceed the 20 minute cut-off point could apply for more time by registering their vehicle’s details in-store.
A Shell spokesperson said: “At some service stations we have limited parks spaces so if drives park their vehicles for extended periods of time it can make it harder for others to refuel or use the other facilities such as EV chargers, air and water.
“Parking restrictions make it fairer for everyone, and for customers who are staying longer to use our services, there is a facility to ensure that avoid any penalty.”
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