Scots drivers hit by £1 airport charge 25 | 10 | 2010
SCOTS DRIVERS dropping friends and family off at Edinburgh Airport will be hit by the controversial £1 'drop-off' charge which is due to be introduced later this week.
The charge, which Edinburgh Airport predicts will generate £1 million in revenue a year and which has been criticised by 68 MSPs, is already facing growing pressure from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats who have launched campaigns to have it scrapped.
A spokesman at Edinburgh Airport told Scotcars the charge, which will hit drivers who stop to drop off passengers beside the Edinburgh terminal and will be introduced on Friday, was to pay for a new drop-off area beside the terminal. A free drop-off area will remain, but it will be relocated to the airport's long-stay car park which is linked to the terminal by free shuttle buses every 10 minutes.
Edinburgh is the first Scottish airport to introduce a so-called a "kiss and fly" charge, and the first in the BAA group, which also includes Heathrow and Stansted.
The spokesman for Edinburgh Airport also stated it believes its current free drop-off zone is congested and dangerous, with one vehicle entering it every 11 seconds at peak times.
But as if the £1 charge wasn't bad enough, that fee only allows drivers 10 minutes to drop off passengers; the following 10 minutes will set the driver back another £5!
Edinburgh's money-grabbing stance is in complete contrast to BAA-owned Glasgow Airport which this summer opened a new free terminal drop-off area.
"The new free and fast track drop-off facilities will be opening this week following rigorous testing," the Edinburgh Airport spoksman continued. "We appreciate some politicians and members of the public may not agree with the introduction of a modest charge in one of our drop-off areas, but it helps us to deliver what our passengers want — greater choice of routes and excellent facilities.
"Our approach involves changes to our forecourt, but means we can build on the £150m already invested in Edinburgh Airport since 2007, and add to the 26 new routes we've attracted in 2010."
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Jim McGill