An owner of an Abbey Wood minicab service has slammed a company for a “ridiculous” parking ticket fine.

Abbey Wood Station Minicabs driver Lomanda Mote was picking someone up in White Hart Avenue, Thamesmead, on June 22 as part of a £4 job.

And owner of the firm Nim Bhadare was shocked when his company was fined £60 by London Parking Solutions for parking on private property.

The 45-year-old failed twice to overturn the charge and ended up having to pay £160 to stop debt collectors from entering Abbey Wood Station Minicabs’ property in Wilton Road.

Mr Bhadare told News Shopper: “Lomanda was given a ticket by London Parking Solutions who said he was parked on private property on a footpath which had a ‘no parking’ sign.

News Shopper:

Lomanda Mote

“But, my driver wasn’t parking, he was just waiting in his car for a client for only a few minutes.

“After the price went up to £160, the parking company told us they would send debt collectors over to our base. So, in the end we were forced to pay it – we had no choice. It’s ridiculous.

“Lomanda was frightened if the debt collectors came then he could have had a criminal record.”

Mr Bhadare said that despite pleading with London Parking Solutions, the company refused to let them off with a warning.

He added: “The parking company could’ve said to us ‘look guys, be more careful next time’. I’m just shocked by it.

“We’re a minicab service, we don’t just drive cars and park wherever we want. It’s not about where we parked, it’s just about the money and they’re taking it off us.

“The guy was picking someone up, he wasn’t in any way parking there. It was a £4 job which ended up costing us £160.”

The £160-fine could have risen to £400 if Abbey Wood Station Minicabs refused to pay it, according to Mr Bhadare.

News Shopper:

He said: “Tickets like these seem to be an ongoing issue. We weren’t wanting to park there. Lomanda is still working for us, but, he just feels really hard done by.”

London Parking Solutions declined to comment when contacted by News Shopper.