When an Ontario man received a trespassing notice in the mail after picking up a relative at Pearson International Airport, he wasn’t sure if the $85 fine was real or not.
“I got this ticket out of the blue. When I stopped there was nobody there,” said Ferdous Islam from Markham.
Pearson International Airport is a busy place with approximately 100,000 vehicles daily. To keep traffic flowing, cars are not allowed to stop at the curb when approaching the airport.
Islam said his relative asked to be picked up at the airport, but as Islam approached Pearson there was a delay so he stopped at the curb leading to the terminal.
“I stopped for five or six minutes until he needed me to get to a certain pillar number and then I drove on,” Islam said.
Weeks later, Islam received a trespass from Lester B. International Pearson Airport, stating that illegal parking fines of $85 would be due.
While Islam said he didn’t see any warnings about where he was parked, there are no parking signs as you approach airport terminals and a private company uses cameras to take photos of license plates to send you the notification.
Islam said he shouldn’t have to pay the $85 because he feels he wasn’t trespassing.
“This is public property I passed through and I’m getting a ticket from a private company saying this is trespassing. I have not walked on anyone’s private property,” Islam said.
Ryan White, of Media Relations at Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA), said in a statement: “This program has been in place at Toronto Pearson since 2018 and is communicated on our website and regularly on Twitter. Our top priority is the safety of everyone on the airport premises, including drivers using the roads surrounding the terminals. Parking on the curb around the terminals is unsafe and increases the risk of avoidable collisions.”
“The GTAA is responsible for public safety at the airport and has implemented a number of practices aimed at eliminating unsafe curb parking, including offering free cell phone waiting areas and implementing the mobile payment notification program. Signs are posted at regular intervals along the roadside at the airport, alerting drivers that the roads are being patrolled by mobile patrols.”
“We have also put up signposts directing drivers to cell phone waiting areas. Private companies throughout Canada and many other countries around the world issue similar payment notices. In the case of Toronto Pearson, this program was implemented with the safety of everyone on the airport premises in mind.”
The airport also has an Express Pass, which you can apply for online, which gives you 18 minutes of free airport parking when dropping off or picking up a passenger.
Islam still considers trespassing to be unfair.
“I think this is a money grab, there are certain ways they are trying to grab people’s pockets,” Islam said.
Getting one of these trespassing alerts won’t affect your driver’s license or car insurance, but if you don’t pay it could be sent to a collection agency, which could affect your credit score.
