Taxi Driver Online

A £1 surcharge is being imposed
People hiring a taxi from the terminal at George Best Belfast City Airport are to be charged a £1 surcharge.

From Thursday, motorists - or taxis not based at the airport - will not be able to drop off or collect passengers outside the terminal.

But taxis based at the airport will still be able to collect passengers at the door with the £1 surcharge being passed on to customers.

PUP MLA Dawn Purvis branded this an "unfair taxi tax".

An airport spokesman said:"Belfast City Airport Taxis Ltd, who operate taxis from the front of the terminal, will facilitate a £1 pass through charge which will be levied on passengers at a date yet to be confirmed.

"Signage will be placed at the taxi rank and within all Belfast City Airport Ltd taxis, explaining that the £1 charge is being imposed by the airport to re-coup infrastructure costs - a policy commonplace at many other UK airports."

Ms Purvis said: "I don't really understand this move, particularly at a time when support for Belfast City Airport is at an all-time low.

"There is huge opposition to their runway extension and increasing community unrest over increased noise, changing flight paths and late night/early morning flights.

"Yet Belfast City Airport continue to take from the Belfast community."

Anyone wanting to drop off or collect a passenger at the airport from Thursday must enter a designated area within the airport's short stay car park.

Drivers doing so must leave within ten minutes or be charged.

Is this not the norm anyway. It certainly is at Liverpool and far as I know if you go to Manchester you get 10 mins before you're charged. Shouldn't be a problem at drop off and it means sitting off outside the airport for pick ups

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

they choose an odd time to put folk off travelling, but they know best i suppose

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

You already have to pay to drop at Birmingham and Luton begin charging for drop off soon.

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Grandad,

Yes normal at Liverpool 10 mins enough to drop off and pick-up if you can educate your customers before hand. Manchester is free [at the moment] to drop off but miumum charge is now £2. for half hour. If you go over which you usually do at T1 it can go to £3.60

I don't see the fuss just add it to the fare

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

A hack can't legally do that, unless it is on the tariff card or the airport is out of his area.

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