If you go to Edinburgh Airport to pick any passengers up on a regular basis you will know that you have to pay to get near the terminal.
It will now cost you more from tomorrow Thursday 8 November 2018 to access the drop off area under cover. Instead of a £1 charge there will now be a fee of £2 payable.
Edinburgh Airport says it is increasing the charge to try and reduce congestion on the main road into the airport. They say it is necessary to try and minimise traffic while plans for a new access road progress. They would hope to reduce the number of cars using the road by 480,000 next year, otherwise the road will be at 121% capacity in the summer.
The airport is working with the council to find a solution to the longterm congestion on Eastfield Road and hopes to build a new access road – and they will pay for at least part of it with additional revenue from the increase in drop off charges. But at the same time they say that the airport has very good public transport connections and if more people used those then that would also reduce congestion.
Edinburgh Airport Chief Executive, Gordon Dewar, said: “We’re committed to giving passengers the very best travel experience and this includes their access to and from the airport.
“Our proposals for a new access road which we anticipate funding the majority of will go a long way towards easing the current congestion problems our passengers face, and the consequent environmental impact. I appreciate the increase will not be welcome news for all but I’m sure most will realise the need for action to combat the congestion we currently experience not only in the summer but throughout the year.
“We are committed to working with the Council and other partners to ensure that existing and new infrastructure is fit for purpose and will continue to make informed decisions to alleviate congestion now and in the coming months leading up to the peak summer period.”
Lothian’s Commercial Director, Nigel Serafini said: “As Edinburgh Airport expands and customer demand on our Airport Services grow, we will continue to work in close collaboration with the airport to ensure our services offer direct, reliable, value for money, convenient airport connections.
“Our partnership and expansion in service provides easily accessible citywide vital transport links to and from the airport. Feedback from customers has been extremely positive and we look forward to working with the airport on developments which further enhance the experience for our customers.”
From tomorrow 8 November 2018 you will have to pay £2 when exiting the car park at the drop off area.
But there are also two other areas where you can collect your passengers. If you use the drop off zone above it will cost you £2 for up to 5 minutes.
You can also use the Pick Up Zone on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park where it costs you £10 an hour for the first hour and £16 if you stay between 1 and 2 hours
You can also use the free pick up zone at the Long Stay car park. This means your passengers have to get the bus to the car park – and it is only free to you for the first ten minutes but cheaper than all the other solutions.
The airport website makes it clear that in every case there are spaces for those who hold Blue Badges and this allows them to stay for up to an hour for free.
Information on all parking options for picking up and dripping off passengers here.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs says it is the people waiting for older relatives and disabled people, who need more time, will be the ones really hit by the doubled drop-off charges. He has written to Michael Matheson to raise his concerns that older and disabled people will be hit by the doubled drop-off charges.
The Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said: “It is clear that the original introduction of this drop-off charge has not achieved the outcome that it said it would.
“People waiting for older relatives and disabled people who need more time will be the ones really hit by the doubled drop-off charge.
“It’s time for Edinburgh Airport to think again.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
