Pretty formulaic piece for this kind of thing. But, of course, from a national perspective the most obvious disparity is that the fee will only be £6 even after the hike
But, of course, it's all relative. And with drivers turning down jobs already because of the fee, it's going to have some impact. Equally, it will probably go up another couple of quid in the next couple of years as well
At least the airport doesn't have the temerity to claim that it's all to do with benefiting the environment etc
Newcastle Airport drop-off fee rise slammed as 'unjustifiable' as taxi firms count the cost
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... e-33958301
The Express pick-up and drop-off charge at Newcastle Airport has risen from £5 to £6 from Wednesday, May 6, with taxi companies warning the increase is being passed on to passengers
Taxi firms have branded parking fee hikes at Newcastle Airport as an "unjustifiable charge". The airport raised its parking tariffs on Wednesday, 6 May, including the Express pick-up and drop-off charge, which increased from £5 to £6.
The fee for spending up to 15 minutes in Short Stay 2 - which had already risen from free to £3 in January when free terminal parking was scrapped - has now climbed further to £4. The airport stated that its charges are reviewed on an annual basis and remain in line with those at comparable airports, pointing to the Airport Waiting Zone at Callerton Parkway, where drivers can park at no cost and use a twice-hourly shuttle bus to and from the terminal.
Kate Willits, whose family runs Direct Taxis, labelled the increase "unjustifiable", saying: "Given the general economy at the moment, anything that means we have to pass on the charge to the customer is an issue. There's already an increase in costs for fuel. We have to try and absorb it into the fare or the driver has to and it's not sustainable."
Kate revealed that some drivers are now turning down airport jobs owing to the rising cost of drop-offs and pick-ups. She added that while the Callerton Parkway waiting zone is free, the majority of passengers prefer to be dropped off directly at the terminal, reports Chronicle Live.
She said: "Drivers would offer people the option to be dropped off at short stay two and walk up. Some would want the express car park. Now, a £6 charge for 10 minutes is passed onto the customer and I don't know how it's justifiable. It's not thinking about the wider impact where people are losing out and the airport isn't."
Johnny Hall, a taxi driver operating an eight-seater minibus from Whitley Bay, makes multiple pick-ups and drop-offs at the airport throughout the day. He said that he has no choice but to pass the charge on to his customers, with his minibus subject to steeper fees than a standard car or taxi.
He said: "I don't want to, but the way the fuel prices are, I can't afford not to. Nobody was bothered when it was a couple of quid. You can legislate for a couple of pounds here and there, that's not an issue. But £7 every time is."
A Newcastle Airport spokesperson said: "Like many businesses across the UK, we are facing rising operational costs. Income generated from our car parks enables us to continue investing in our facilities, deliver a world‐class passenger experience, attract high‐quality airlines and maintain vital connectivity for the region.
"We continue to offer free parking for the public and taxi drivers at the Airport Waiting Zone at Callerton Parkway, next to Callerton Metro station. From the site, a free bus service operating every 30 minutes transports passengers between the Waiting Zone and the terminal entrance."