Turbulence ahead: Anger over Dublin Airport fees
PLANS for a paid drop-off zone at Dublin Airport nosedived yesterday amid anger from holidaymakers and travel agents.
Travel agent boss Paul Hackett told the Irish Daily Mail he was ‘disappointed’ with the planned charges, while Swords Councillor Joe Newman branded them ‘outrageous’.
The flurry of complaints followed the DAA’s announcement on Wednesday that it had submitted new plans to install paid drop-off and pick-up zones at Dublin Airport next year.
The operator, which manages Ireland’s busiest airport, was refused planning permission by Fingal County Council for a similar scheme in February.
Paul Hackett, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘The ITAA are disappointed to see anything that would make the return of international travel less easy for customers.’
Mr Hackett said he appreciated congestion was an issue but urged the DAA to instead focus on bus and rail access to the airport.
Speaking on Newstalk, Cllr Newman said: ‘I’ll be objecting to it again, as I did before. I think it’s outrageous that the DAA is introducing this charge.’
He added: ‘It’s just a money grab. The DAA makes plenty of money from its car parking and the system is working quite well at the moment.’
Cllr Newman said the new zones would disadvantage elderly flyers and those with disabilities. He said the plans must include ‘a window’ of at least 15 minutes for drop-offs and collections.
The DAA said the charges would reduce car journeys and boost public transport as part of a ‘sustainability agenda’. Funds raised would be invested in a solar farm, low-emission shuttle buses and electric vehicle charging points.
The DAA insisted there would be special provisions for people with reduced mobility.
It also proposed a reduced fee for 30 minutes in short-term car parks alongside a free drop and collection area in the long-term car park. Listeners were not convinced. Dr Sean Barrett, an economist at Trinity College Dublin, called in to criticise the ‘very silly’ proposals. ‘This will obviously annoy people and undoubtedly is not the way to go about it,’ he told presenter Adrian Kennedy.
Dr Barrett said similar schemes in Britain were ‘extremely unpopular’ with travellers and merely resulted in people doing drop-offs further away.
Dave in County Clare said the charges were an example of a ‘ripoff nation’, while Twitter user Noel Lacey wrote: ‘Rip-off Ireland – a never ending story. Meanwhile, in most other EU capitals you can get a train or bus directly into the terminal.’
The charges would operate through automatic number plate recognition cameras. Vehicle registration plates would be read on entry and exit with costs based on the length of time in the zone.
The new system will not be introduced until the project receives approval from planning authorities. If approved, construction of the zone will start to take place in 2022.
‘It’s just a money grab’