Taxi Driver Online

Fury at George Best Belfast City Airport £2 taxi 'rip-off'


Travellers taking a taxi to or from the terminal doors at George Best Belfast City Airport pay a surcharge of £2, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal today.

The news comes after Value Cabs secured an exclusivity contract to provide a front-of-house service. It has sparked fury, with Ukip MLA David McNarry warning the airport against getting the reputation of "being a rip-off" because of the hidden fee.

Other taxi providers can only use the short stay car park – which permits a grace period of 10 minutes' free parking – to pick up and drop off.

However, Value Cabs can no longer use the airport's short stay facility to collect or wait for fares under the rules of the new collaboration.

The £2 levy means a passenger commuting to Belfast city centre with Value Cabs would spend around £10 compared to £8 with a rival firm.

The £2 per pick-up goes to the airport.

An airport spokeswoman told the Belfast Telegraph that "a surcharge has always been included in these front-of-house pick-up fares".

But Ukip MLA David McNarry (right) has warned the airport against getting the reputation of "being a rip-off" because of the hidden fee.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Council said people needed to know that there were various transport options to and from the airport. An insider told this newspaper that, under the new contract, it was more expensive for commuters to opt to travel with Value Cabs.

"The airport charges the taxi firm £2 for every pick-up and drop-off and the drivers add a £2 supplement on to the customer's bill," the source said.

"If you were to take a taxi from the City Airport to the Belfast Telegraph (in the city centre) it would cost around £10 with Value Cabs compared to £8 with another company."

The airport spokeswoman said the new service was cheaper than its predecessor, George Best Belfast City Airport Taxis Ltd.

"The introduction of Value Cabs as front-of-house taxi service at Belfast City Airport has seen overall fares decrease, which means passengers can benefit from fares that are considerably cheaper than with the previous provider," she said.

Mr McNarry said that taxi prices to and from the airport should be uniform, regardless of the service provider.

source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... 17517.html

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

This kind of arrangement is very common in rip off Britain. I think it's £1 here.

_________________

http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Has Mr.McNarry not heard of the Competition Act or different distance fares?

I always quote the fare plus the £1.00 escape fee

£2?? FFs, some folks must have little else in their tightarse life's if they moan about that.

I'd charge them £3.20 from heathrow. They'd need resuscitation after seeing that.

£10 eh?

Wooooo!

They'd keel over and die if I dropped them of in our city centre for £70 then!