AIRPORT AILMENTS
LOTHIANS MSPS UNANIMOUS IN CONDEMNING AIRPORT FEE
Every MSP in the Loth- ians opposes Edin- burgh Airport’s contro- versial passenger drop-off plans, a poll in the Scotsman re- vealed last month. The unanimous re- sponse comes from the politicians who represent 60 per cent of passengers at the airport and many of its staff. The resounding “No” to the proposed fee from October also covers six political groupings in the Scot- tish Parliament, re- flecting unease with the scheme across a wide spectrum of opinion.
The 16 MSPs - nine constituency and seven on the regional list - include two mem- bers who have launched petitions
against the charge, which have attracted some 5,000 signatures to date.
As previously reported in PHTM, Edinburgh Airport said its charge was required to pay for upgrading and expanding the termi- nal drop-off zone, and a free alternative would be provided at the long-stay car park, linked to the terminal by free shuttle buses every few minutes. The MSPs’ responses to the Scotsman poll ranged from disbelief that the charge was being introduced to anger that it was being dressed up by the BAA-owned airport as a green tax.
Some feared the £1 fee would be increased once introduced while
others said the scheme was wrong in principle. Outside the capital, opposition was equally vehement. The views were similar among the region’s list MSPs. A spokesman for Edin- burgh Airport said the charge would provide vital income for its future development. He told the Scotsman: “We are not surprised these MSPs have spo- ken out against the optional charge. “However, businesses sometimes have to take tough decisions.” Mmm... the MAG Group’s East Midlands Airport has also brought in the £1 drop-off charge (see article this page). Will this charge be put to “future development”? - Ed
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ABERDEEN DRIVERS COULD END UP BRAWLING IN THE STREETS
Allowing airport taxi drivers to work in the city centre could lead to fights in the streets, it was warned last month.
According to the Aberdeen Evening Express, Aberdeen’s taxi consultation group - which includes councillors, taxi repre- sentatives and police - was discussing four requests from drivers to be allowed to work both at the airport and in the city centre. However, the Aber- deen Taxi Group (ATG) believes such a move could prompt chaos on the streets between warring drivers.
Licensing rules in Aberdeen mean differ- ent coloured
taxi
plates are needed to work in each of the
two zones, which were introduced in Novem- ber 2001. Formal applications would need to be made by any drivers wanting to work in both places.
Dave Stephen, of the ATG, told the consulta- tion group: “This has huge ramifications for the taxi trade in Aberdeen.
“Every single driver in Aberdeen should be consulted on this. I can see a situation where we have got fights in the street between taxi drivers. “There is not enough work now to think you could allow another 130 cars into town.” Safety concerns were also raised because having a licence for both zones could
potentially mean driv- ers working all day at the airport before starting another shift dealing with night-time custom in Aberdeen. The requests are due to be considered fur- ther by Aberdeen City Council’s licensing committee on Septem- ber 15. Cllr Kirsty West, who sits on both the taxi consultation group and the licens- ing committee, said she was glad the issue was being discussed again, adding: “We needed to hear from taxi driver representa- tives again about the situation.” Taxi
consultation
group convener Cllr John Reynolds said: “What we need to do is give the council committee options.”
EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT BRINGS IN £1 DROP-OFF LEVY ‘TO HELP TRAFFIC’
East Midlands Airport has introduced a con- troversial new levy - a £1 charge for drop- ping people off at the airport.
The airport’s previous regime - drive in, take a ticket, drop off your friends / family, drive out, don’t pay a penny - seemed to be work- ing relatively well. Now, you drive in, drop off your friends or family - and hand over £1 at the gate to drive back out.
Airport manager Penny Coates says the new charge will help to “improve the traffic flow and reduce con- gestion at peak times”. But not everyone agrees. Taxi driver Eddie Stra- chan, of Narborough, goes to the airport more than 20 times a week. He reckons the changes have less to do with tackling con- gestion and more to do with making the air-
port more money. “I can’t believe they’ve done this to improve congestion,” he told the Leicester Mail. “Let’s face it, at busy times, they’ve made the congestion worse. “I go to a lot of airports and I would say that these new changes have made East Mid- lands Airport one of the worst in the county for drop-offs.”
There used to be three barriers at EMA for arriving vehicles. Under the new sys- tem, two of these barriers now feed into the car parks - and just one leads into the £1 drop-off.
This is fine if the airport is not busy, says Eddie. But when it is, the queues are now longer than the queues they planned to reduce.
EMA is not alone in charging people to drop off passengers. Birmingham and
Luton airports both charge a £1 drop-off / pick-up fee.
Bosses at Luton Air- port declined to say why they imposed a £1 charge. However a spokesman for Birm- ingham Airport said their levy was intro- duced three years ago for “security reasons”. EMA has received 30 complaints since the charge was intro- duced last month, a spokeswoman said. “It’s the taxi firms and cab drivers who are complaining the loud- est - and that’s because they’ve seen it and they know it isn’t working,” says Pat Callaghan, manager at Coalville’s Yellow Cars taxi firm.
“It’s a money-making scheme, simple as that.”
Mmm...first Edinburgh, now East Midlands - which airport will be next to impose the drop-off charge? - Ed
PHTM SEPTEMBER 2010
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