APP-BASED parking services are becoming popular at airports, but the market is unregulated, with many expressing fears about potential legal problems, said the Shenzhen Economic Daily.

    The report documented experiences using a parking service app at the Shenzhen airport.

    A Daily reporter made an appointment with a staff member from one of parking service companies and was told to meet him at Gate 5 at the airport. Cars are only allowed to stay in the area for three minutes, and drivers will be fined 500 yuan (US$77) if they violate the rule.

    The app’s customer service specialist said it wouldn’t take a long time to hand over the car, and refused to provide any contact information for the person who would be parking the car.

    Reportedly, when the staff member showed up, he did not provide his driver’s license. He also did not check what was in the car due to the time limit.

    Currently there are at least five parking service firms with online booking in Shenzhen, and most of them provide services at the airport. Edaibo, one of the largest firms, launched parking services in downtown Beijing and Hangzhou.

    A Shenzhen resident named Luo expressed concern over the services. “What if the staff member just drives my car away?” said Luo. “If the employee hits someone when driving my car, who is to blame?” asked a man surnamed Liu.

    All firms interviewed said they purchase insurance for each car they serve. If the cars are scratched, violate traffic rules or personal belongings go missing, the insurance company will cover the loss. Some firms said they installed surveillance cameras in their parking lots and that car keys are locked away.

    A lawyer said there are currently no laws or regulations for the market in China. He said both the service providers and users should be careful. (Zhang Xiaoyi)