Manchester Airport has confirmed further details of their plans to start charging drivers for dropping passengers off at all three terminals.
The new arrangements will be introduced this month to help alleviate the congestion caused by the high volume of "kiss and fly" and the recirculation of cars.
From June, drivers will be charged an express drop-off fee of £3 for staying up to five minutes or £4 for six to ten minutes.
The forecourt management plan announced in March, also includes the creation of a new drop-off zone, from where passengers will be transferred to all of its terminals free of charge.
This week, Manchester Airport has confirmed arrangements for passengers with reduced mobility, local users of the airport station and commercial operators, such as private hire taxi firms.
An exact date in June for the system being introduced is still to be confirmed but will be communicated in advance.
The airport has confirmed Blue Badge holders will be able to drop-off outside the terminals free of charge.
Non-Blue Badge holders who have booked special assistance can use the free drop-off site, where there will be a dedicated help point to communicate with the airport's assistance provider. All buses travelling to and from the terminals from this location are wheelchair accessible.
A scheme for people living near to the airport who use its Ground Transport Interchange to travel in and out of Manchester and surrounding areas has also been developed, following discussions with stakeholders in these communities.
It allows people in certain postcodes to apply for a permit, giving them access to the station for an annual fee of £30.
A discount scheme will also be set up for commercial private hire operators who are frequent users of the airport. The scheme already exists for pick-up within car parks and will now offer discounted access to the forecourts, for drop-off.
Tricia Williams, COO of Manchester Airport, said: "Manchester Airport has seen a significant increase in passenger volumes in the past five years and is heavily investing in further growth and improvements to the customer experience, most notably through our £1bn transformation programme.
"This growth, coupled with imposed security restrictions on forecourt capacity and an inability to increase available space, has led to extreme congestion around the estate, especially at peak times. It became clear we had to take a more proactive approach to managing this, as Manchester Airport continues to grow, which is why we are introducing a forecourt management system, including a dedicated free site for people to be dropped-off at.
"We have listened carefully to issues raised by passengers since announcing our plans and have been able to respond to many of the concerns raised through the measures being announced today.
"We will announce any further details, including the exact date the system will be introduced, at the earliest opportunity."
Proceeds from the forecourt management scheme will go into a new public transport fund being set up by the airport. This will be used to support measures to improve access to the site for employment opportunities as well as passengers using public transport. The airport will be working in partnership with Cheshire East Council, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester to administer the fund.
The changes being introduced only impact those dropping-off. The process for picking up passengers remains the same. Passengers can be picked up in terminal car parks, as per the current process, with a charge of £4 for 30 minutes.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I'm thinking perhaps something that reflects the philosophy of the management.
What about - "WELCOME TO DICK TURPIN AIRPORT" in 40ft. high letters on all the approach roads. I know you all feel that is spot on, but any other suggestions?
Spent nothing on securing the previous 2 drop off lanes expanding
Such...Generating peak congestion to charge this tax on the traveller...I am
Disgusted at the worst airport in the uk...All to pay for the new terminal
Expansion that will end up costing us all even more expecting hard up
Families to be dumped a mile away
In all weathers fighting to get on the odd full bus with buggys, cases,
Tired children!....F I g h t t h e r I p o f f
My wife and I have a property in Alderley Edge, which we visit 3 times a year, but we ordinarily reside overseas. We fly into Gatwick, then have to catch the shuttle bus to Heathrow and wait for a domestic flight (since there are none from Gatwick). Upon arrival at Manchester Airport we then have to wait for the car hire rental bus, and hump our cases on board once it arrives (hoping that it's not raining) to drive to the boondocks. It takes us as long to fly from North America to Gatwick (3,200 miles) as it does to travel from Gatwick to the hire car desk at Manchester Airport (180 miles).
The return journey is even longer and more expensive since we have to overnight at Heathrow or Gatwick - never knowing if the internal flights will connect on time with our international flight to North America.
Each year the experience at Manchester Airport gets worse and worse - its as if the airport authority take delight in making it so. No internal flights, long journey on the shuttle bus, inconvenient car hire coach to the sticks, and now a drop off charge!
Can we please go back 10 years, when there were internal shuttle flights between Gatwick and Manchester, the flight services were run by BA, car hire was in the multi-storey car park immediately opposite the terminal and there was no fee to drop off your bags!
What does this Airport Authority ever do of a positive nature for travelling passengers?
As above RIP OFF.
The new drop off charges are yet another money making scam.
Motorists in this country are treated as a cash cows.
As for the alterations to the road system around the airport, they appear to be a total joke intended to cause even more confusion ( the planning office must be run by 3 year old school children ?)
Why do big organisations always think that the general public are stupid and will believe any thing they say ?
NOT IMPRESSED.
Chris. Why fly from Gatwick via Heathrow to Manchester Airport; when Gatwick airport to Wilmslow station by Gatwick Express/Underground/Virgin Pendolino would take less than 5 hours at most?