Edinburgh Airport bosses are rising the drop-off fee price to a whopping £6 for 10 minutes – claiming it will ‘encourage public transport use’.
The £1 hike comes into force from next Monday, January 13, and will cover the cost to use the pick-up and drop-off area in a car. In a statement, airport chiefs said the rise will ‘mean that use of the area will be competitively priced against public transport’- which around 37% of passengers already use.
It adds: “Our Surface Access Strategy seeks to grow that number further while reducing the emissions caused by transport to and from the airport. Revenue raised will assist in improving passenger experience, growing connectivity and investing in the airport’s infrastructure.”
They added that the airport continues to operate a free drop-off and pickup area which has recently been upgraded and moved closer to the terminal.
Local residents and users of electric cars will still qualify for a 50% discount for the first ten minutes.
Gail Taylor, chief commercial officer (XAero) at Edinburgh Airport, said: “We have just had a record year for passengers at Edinburgh Airport and that number is likely to grow year-on-year, and we want to make sure that people are making more sustainable choices when getting to and from the airport.
“The use of cars is the most polluting mode with four journeys for each passenger compared to just two when using public transport. We want more people to use the robust transport links we have as this both reduces emissions and congestion.
“We have a number of large capacity projects planned over the next few years and reinvestment back into the airport infrastructure will improve the overall experience for passengers.”
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