Many airports have removed barriers at pick-up and drop-off points because they say it speeds up the process and means taxi drivers can get on to their next job.
The systems use number plate recognition cameras to calculate the length of stay and drivers are given a deadline to pay the fees online.
Changes
Under the previous system introduced at Manchester Airport in 2018, number plate recognition cameras would record vehicle registrations as they entered the drop-off zone and drivers would pay their charges at the exit barriers.
The exit barriers were removed in March this year and the entire system is now camera based. Instead of paying before they leave the airport, drivers have until midnight the following day to pay the £5 drop-off or £6.40 pick-up fee. Alternatively, they can create an account linked to a bank card which makes the payments automatically.
When the barriers were removed, Sue West, Manchester Airport’s landside operations director, said: “We’re always looking for ways to make our passengers’ lives easier.
“By removing barriers in our drop-off and pick-up zones it will speed up the process and make it feel seamless – and it will stop people from going into more expensive pay brackets while they wait at the barriers.”
Penalty
But it has also led to confusion among drivers with many receiving fines for not paying the fees on time. In some cases, drivers have missed the signs explaining the new system in operation and in the absence of a barrier or pay point, have assumed charges no longer apply.
Following the issuing of a £170 fine to a taxi driver, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham labelled it “harsh” and “heavy-handed”.
The Manchester Evening News followed the story of one private hire driver who called into the mayor’s regular BBC Radio Manchester show to raise the issue.
The driver, Neil, told Mr Burnham he registered his vehicle and debit card with the airport’s new payment system which means pick-up and drop-off fees he is charged are paid automatically.
But when he bought a new car, he forgot to update the details and missed the payment cut-off, resulting in a £100 fine. He told the mayor he hadn’t received the first letter and debt collectors have now been in touch demanding £170, which is a big hit, on top of other rising costs.
Mr Burnham described the approach as “a little heavy-handed” and said his office has had complaints about the new system.
He added: “It feels harsh in some ways, given they know you as an operator.
“I know there are other complaints about the system. I feel we need to work with the airport so everyone understands the system. I think some people have been in a position where the change has come in and they know about it.”
While many people are understandably unhappy about being charged to drop people at an airport, the removal of the barriers does speed up the process. The key for taxi and PHV drivers is to ensure that they include fees such as this within the price of the fare, and make sure they pay any charges on time.
If it has been a while since you last did an airport run or you are taking passengers to an airport you are unfamiliar with, it’s worth doing your homework, especially regarding pick-up and drop-off fees to ensure you don’t get caught out
