CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Fury at Edinburgh airport 'access charge'

(64 posts)

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  1. cb
    Member

  2. chdot
    Admin

    Yeah most amusing.

    "Bosses justify the new charge by saying it will help cut emissions"

    As one of the comments says -

    "After a year, more or less, £1 will become £5, then £10 because the fee did not deter 'drop offs' and did not reduce the carbon footprint of ordinary working people going on holiday..."

    Posted 13 years ago #
  3. spytfyre
    Member

    *facepalm*

    Posted 13 years ago #
  4. Min
    Member

    Can't beat a good bit of fury of a morning. I myself strive to become furious six times before breakfast each day.

    Never mind, very very soon there will be a tram to take everyone to the airport from whereever they live.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    "from whereever they live"

    But I live next to the South Sub and I'd rather use that...

    Will the tram take free (OAP) bus passes - I expect I'll be old enough...

    Will there BE free (OAP) bus passes??

    Posted 13 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.facepalm.org

    Posted 13 years ago #
  7. spytfyre
    Member


    I almost have the hair... all he needs is the beard.
    I can say "make it so" or "engage" if it helps

    Posted 13 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    New emoticon

    Just paste http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4754636168_5228c7ceee_o.jpg into IMG

    Posted 13 years ago #
  9. spytfyre
    Member

    looks like a thumb at that size...

    Posted 13 years ago #
  10. cb
    Member

    Raising £1 drop-off fee can't be ruled out

    Interesting that Ryanair support the scheme. Maybe they hope it will lead to less bags being loaded onto their planes.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  11. Kim
    Member

    Same there is still no station at the airport, the bus is OK, but a train would give wider access. But the real problem here is that drivers think they have a god given right not to walk, if it can possibly be avoided, and so must be allowed to park anywhere they like.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  12. steveo
    Member

    This isn't about lazy drivers as much as you like to blame drivers/cars for every thing its simple profiteering.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  13. SRD
    Moderator

    Obviously no one wants to walk to the airport, or expects others to. But it makes perfect sense to charge for parking/drop-off in the interests of encouraging people to use the provided, excellent public transport.

    I suppose there might be less profiteering mechanisms - how about money off in the airport shops if you show a valid bus ticket?

    Posted 13 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    "
    Airport may increase £1 drop-off charge
    AIRPORT bosses say their planned £1 drop-off charge could be increased if it does not cut the number of "kiss and fly" trips.

    The controversial charge is due to be introduced in October in a bid to reduce the number of cars using the drop-off zone outside the terminal by more than a third – from the current 1.6 million down to around 1 million.

    Edinburgh Airport managing director Gordon Dewar said: "If it had no impact on the number of people who 'kiss and fly', you might want to review it – Scottish Government officials have suggested you may need to charge more to change behaviour."
    "

    http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/9am-Briefing-20m-legal-case.6412745.jp

    Posted 13 years ago #
  15. cb
    Member

    I'd like the airport bus ticket to be transferable to another LRT bus within, say, 40 mins of purchase.

    For two people to get a bus to the airport bus route then catch the airlink costs almost £10. That's getting into taxi fare territory for some areas. Once you reach three people a taxi looks very inviting.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  16. steveo
    Member

    If you don't live on any of the pt options the car looks like an excellent option in reality.

    Even if you live on the tram route in ten years time when they start running, the car will still look like a good option when you consider 40kg of bags for two people who are actually going on holiday instead of just to London for a weekend.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  17. Kim
    Member

    I too would like the airport bus ticket to be transferable to another LRT bus for an onward journey. Great idea.

    I don't see why you need a car to drive to the airport just because you are carrying luggage. I manage perfectly well on the bus, currently it takes two buses to get to the airport.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  18. Personally we always get a taxi to the airport. But that's more to do with my general dislike of buses (can't really explain it - well, okay, I can, being 6'3" and cramming into those seats (especially when I'll be doing that on a flight) and listening to other peoples' inane conversations (bit rude when I'm travelling with someone to put my earphones in) and the coughing and spluttering and jolting...). I hate taking buses. But having to carry luggage on them is waaaaaaay down the list.

    Couple of times I've come back on business really late it's really really nice to have someone there to pick you up that you know - but Mel always parks and walks to the terminal - after all, they don't have information boards on the outside to let you know if the flight is delayed...

    Posted 13 years ago #
  19. Min
    Member

    My mother in law who is in her 70s wouldn't manage perfectly well on and off buses with luggage.

    I agree with SRD and cb that it would be better to provide incentives to use another form of transport such as transferable bus tickets or a wee discount in the airport shop. Rather than giving motorists yet another reason to feel angry and aggrieved.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  20. cb
    Member

    When I lived near the Glasgow Road I used to get the bus to the airport for work trips.
    Now I'm on the southside it's not really possible to get the bus in time for the red eye.
    Taxi/car are the usual options but these descisions are easier when you can claim back travel expenses.
    Fortunately work trips are quite rare.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    "Rather than giving motorists yet another reason to feel angry and aggrieved."

    That's a whole nother topic...

    Most motorists feel aggrieved because they aren't in the only vehicle on the road and traffic lights dare to turn red, and they believe everything they read in papers about why they should feel aggrieved and...

    Bus passengers should feel aggrieved because their cost of travel increases more than the cost of motoring (except perhaps in Edinburgh).

    Cyclists feel aggrieved because they a small misunderstood minority.

    Pedestrians -

    Well who cares about them?

    Posted 13 years ago #
  22. Kim
    Member

    Humm must nip out and buy a car so that I can have a reason to feel angry and aggrieved. Oh hang on, that is one of the reasons I don't want to own a car. When I sold my last car, I full expected that I would buy another one later, but then discovered the great freedom of not having one, now I really don't want to own one.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  23. Min
    Member

    Well whether they should or not they do! And it does no-one any good, especially not those at the death zone end of the vehicle, ie us.

    And, as already pointed out, there are plenty of legitimate reasons why people want to be driven to or from an airport. An incentive to NOT drive would encourage those who are just too lazy to walk to the bus stop to do so whilst not victimising those who are elderly/less able bodied or getting in late at night on their own or who don't live near a bus route and so on and so on.

    It's win win.

    And will never happen.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  24. SRD
    Moderator

    Joined up tickets would definitely be a good idea - so I could pay my £5 and get the 27 to Waverley, then the airport bus, and return.

    If you have a week/monthly/yearly pass from Lothian, then I think you can travel on the airport bus for free, which is quite a good deal, especially if you're just going to collect someone. We often take the bus out to collect grandparents, then taxi back.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  25. Min
    Member

    Yes, the ridacard is effective on the airport bus so is great for that. Not effective on nightbus for some reason though you get the fare cheaper-not sure how much.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  26. spytfyre
    Member

    £1.50 off the night bus fare

    Posted 13 years ago #
  27. steveo
    Member

    Course the bus pass discount on the airport bus is as useful to the cycle commuter as it is to the car commuter.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  28. SRD
    Moderator

    Steveo - yes, but we had passes years ago, and often 'put a week' on them when a relative comes to visit - then we use it to get to the airport, and around town while they visit. Works out quite well.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  29. chdot
    Admin

    "The Scottish Government said Edinburgh airport's proposal for the country's first such terminal drop-off fee "is not supported by ministers"

    http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Campaign-to-halt-Edinburgh-airport.6417809.jp

    Posted 13 years ago #
  30. Dave
    Member

    Here's a simple solution to the problem - charge a £1 airport development fee to all passengers, but void it if an airlink bus ticket is presented.

    Other airports in the UK have such a levy already, and this way it can avoid the "hard working innocent British motorist tax-cow" whining, but have the same effect.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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