Uber driver fumes at Leeds Bradford Airport at £39 ‘fraud fee’ for dropping off passengers

Faraz Khan, an Uber driver since 2015, says the LBA is wrong to penalize taxi drivers with a turnover fee and says it will have damaging consequences for their industry in the region

A frustrated Uber driver has lashed out at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) after being slapped with a £39 charge for dropping off passengers and returning them less than an hour later.

The hefty fine was imposed on 36-year-old Faraz Khan on May 20 after he made three trips to the airport, leaving him out of pocket.

He was hit by a recirculation fee, meaning drivers cannot return to the airport within an hour of leaving, and father-of-two Faraz has accused LBA of running a fraud operation. reports Leeds Live.

He said: “The free one hour parking at Leeds Bradford Airport is a scam – I made three trips to the airport.

“I dropped off the driver, got to the barriers to get out but the machine said I had to pay £39.

“I called for help and they said it’s because you’ve been on a recirculated trip so you’ll have to pay £39.

“And I told them ‘I didn’t even stay ten minutes and I’m a taxi driver, I’ll come all day to bring passengers,’ but they refused to let me out.

“Taxi drivers should be allowed to drop off passengers, this is public transport.

“They didn’t listen to me and said I had to pay or there would be more penalties.

“The airport, their parking company, they cheat the people there. Not just me, I spoke to other drivers and they said similar things had happened to them recently.”

Faraz, who lives in Armley, had to foot the hefty bill after dropping off his last passenger, which cost just £8.39. He has since spoken to Uber, who told him the only option is to cancel trips to the airport in the future if he thinks he might break airport rules again.

Faraz has been an Uber driver since 2015 and says the LBA’s policy will do irreparable damage to the taxi industry in Leeds with so many journeys going to and from there.

He added: “We’re going to lose so much business with what’s happening. June, July and August is the holiday season, we make at least four to five trips to the airport every day, a lot of trips.

“There will be chaos when people ask to be picked up from the free hour-long car park as we can’t drive there.”

A Leeds Bradford Airport spokesman said: “Due to continued abuse of the One Hour Free Zone, a turnover charge was introduced in 2019 to prevent it from becoming an extended holding area for vehicles.

“Prior to the introduction of the repatriation fee, vehicles drove around endlessly, restricting access to the facility for all passengers.

“The circulation fee is clearly marked at the entrance to the one hour free zone and in the car park itself.

“Vehicles are welcome to re-enter the one-hour free zone an hour after exiting.”