‘Greedy’ drop-off fee blasted AIRPORT CHARGES SEND CITY PARKING MAD
MEMBERS of the public and MSPs have condemned plans for drop-off charges at Glasgow Airport.
A motion at Holyrood has been lodged branding the charges unjustified and profiteering.
A petition was launched within hours of them being revealed.
MSPs have opposed plans to impose drop-off charges at Glasgow Airport.
Pauline McNeill, Glasgow Labour MSP has lodged a motion at Holyrood branding the charges unjustified and accusing the airport of “profiteering from passengers”.
Ms McNeill has the backing of Labour and SNP members as she said the £2 fee is an “arbitrary and unjustified charge”.
The condemnation comes as a petition has been launched to stop plans to impose the charges going ahead, less than 48 hours after they were announced.
The airport have claimed that the charge will help to reduce congestion around the airfield.
Under the changes, customers will be charged £2 for a stay of up to 10 minutes.
John Simm, who started the petition, has branded it “money making scheme”.
In a letter to Glasgow Airport, he writes: “Please reconsider your plan to levy inappropriate charges for dropping off passengers at your airport. We feel that this is an unreasonable charge and although you offer a free drop-off at your long stay car park, this is too far for some elderly or disabled passengers to walk.
“A compromise of a set amount of free drop-off and pick-up time which would allow for the swift transfer of passengers should be enough to ease congestion in and around the airport.”
More than 1000 pledged their support for the campaign.
One comment posted by Lorraine Garraton, from Motherwell, said: “The airport’s make enough out of holiday makers, i.e. Ridiculously overpriced food, drinks and goods.”
Another from Maxine Williamson, from Glasgow, reads: “It’s a joke, anything for some coin! It’s not enough that the flight price difference between Edinburgh and Glasgow are a joke and they are only an hour apart, getting nothing else off me even if it is only £2 sheer principle!”
Chris Pa, from Kilbarchan, added: “This is a tax on those dropping off and picking up, not air travellers. If there were decent options for public transport from the surrounding area then I would have more sympathy for charging to discourage car use.
“What will be the next step in making Glasgow Airport look like a small provincial airport – introduce a £5 charge to use trolleys like other minor airports?”
Airport bosses have said that anyone wishing to use the new pick-up and drop-off facility for more than 10 minutes should use the short stay car park.
A free pick-up and drop-off area will be located in the long stay car park where customers can park for nothing for up to 30 minutes and a take the shuttle bus which runs every 10 minutes directly to the main terminal building.
A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said: “We appreciated that not everyone will be supportive of the new charging structure which is why we will continue to provide customers with a free option at our long-stay car park situated within the airport campus.
“All possible alternatives have been exhausted and we have reached a point whereby a new chargeable facility is the only way to address congestion, discourage non-airport traffic and encourage best use of our road network.”