East Midlands Airport car park upgrade - and £1 drop off charge
07.07.10
The major redevelopment of the East Midlands Airport short-stay car park will be completed this week. The car park has been reconfigured into 5 zones, including areas for blue badge holders, short stay, car hire and the reintroduction of a dedicated passenger drop-off area. As part of the upgrade, passengers using the new rapid drop-off zone, close to the terminal, will be charged £1 for up to 10 minutes.
The airport said that the redesign is a response to customer feedback, and it hopes the new layout will significantly improve the traffic flow at peak times. An automatic number plate recognition system has been installed so pre-booked cars can enter and exit the car park.
It adds that the extra time needed when customers are collecting passengers has also been taken into account. The 10-minute free parking option in the short-stay car park has been replaced with an extended period of up to an hour of free parking in the long-stay car park, and a complimentary bus journey between the car park and the terminal.
Some might suggest that moving the pick up car park further away and adding a bus transfer is a ploy to boost revenue from short stay parking. Most people collecting passengers will automatically head for the short term parking, and will no longer benefit from any free period. This seems to be something most UK airports are introducing.
Another element of the redevelopment is a new car park operator, APCOA Parking, who will manage the entire coach and car park operation at the airport. APCOA also operate on site parking at Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Exeter Airports.
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