Manchester Airport scraps free drop-off lanes – you’ll now have to pay or park a MILE away
The measures are aimed at reducing traffic around the airport, which was set to go up by up to 40 per cent in the next year if nothing was done to ease it
MANCHESTER Airport is scrapping convenient free lanes where people can be dropped off.
Instead, people will have to pay to drop others off – or use a shuttle bus based a mile away.
Drivers will be charged £3 for five minutes stopping at the airport, or £4 for ten minutes.
The measures have come into force to relieve heavy congestion around the airport.
A report by the airport reveals that much of the congestion is due to “kiss and fly” traffic which has “broken” its forecourts.
The report reveals that the traffic is so bad around the airport that one in five drivers have to do a lap before they can find a space, which only adds to the congestion.
It also states that it expects traffic in the forecourts to go up by between 20 and 40 per cent in the next year if the measures aren’t taken.
The new “drop off and ride” service will be based at the Jet Park 1 in Thorley Lane.
This will add seven minutes to passengers' journeys if they choose to use it as they will have to take the shuttle bus for half a mile.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport told Sun Online Travel that there will be a free shuttle bus between the free carpark and the airport and that people won’t have to walk.
Tricia Williams, Chief Operating Officer for Manchester Airport, said: “Manchester Airport has seen a significant increase in passenger volumes over the past five years and is making a major investment in driving further growth and improvements to the customer experience.
She continued: “As passenger numbers have grown, we have increasingly experienced major congestion problems on our terminal forecourts, exacerbated by a high percentage of visitors repeatedly recirculating at peak times.
“This is despite efforts in recent years to increase capacity as much as possible in these highly constrained parts of our site.
“It is clear as we continue to grow that we need to take a more proactive approach to managing this congestion, which has a knock-on effect on the wider airport estate and a significant impact on our operations and customer service levels.
“The simple fact is our forecourts were not designed to handle the number of vehicles they do today and do not have the capacity to cope with any further growth in the number of people being dropped-off immediately outside our terminals.
“That is why we are investing in a dedicated drop-off site, from where a free shuttle service will operate to all three terminals. It is hoped this will contribute to a major reduction in the number of individual vehicles trying to access the most congested parts of our campus.
“In parallel, an Express Drop-off charge will be introduced in the areas directly outside our three terminals and Ground Transport Interchange, similar to those introduced at most UK airports in recent years.
“We have been working with our Passenger User Group on these plans in recent months, as well as engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in the community and wider region. This has enabled us to respond to their concerns and feedback wherever possible.
“As part of our efforts to reduce on-site congestion, we are also creating a brand new Public Transport Development Fund, overseen by newly-formed body made up of representatives from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Cheshire East Council and Transport for Greater Manchester.
“It will work to identify and support initiatives that will improve access to Manchester Airport for passengers and colleagues.”