Business leaders fume over Edinburgh airport's 'barmy' £1 parking levy

Published on Friday 9 July 2010 16:03

BUSINESS leaders have hit out over controversial plans to charge motorists for dropping off passengers at Edinburgh Airport with one industry boss claiming to be "appalled" by the move.

The decision by airport operator BAA to impose the charges from the beginning of October had been backed by the head of Edinburgh's Chamber of Commerce and a CBI Scotland boss, despite sparking fury among motorists and air passengers.

However, The Scotsman can reveal that another member of the capital's chamber of commerce has added his name to 900-signature petition against the charge of 1 for up to ten minutes in the drop-off zone.

Douglas Logan, a former chairman of the tourism policy group of the chamber, posted a comment on the online petition that said the charges should be "abandoned" and compared the policy to those of budget airlines such as Ryanair which is considering a 1 charge to use plane toilets.

Mr Logan, who is still an active chamber member and a former tour operating company boss, said: "It's yet another charge and the airport is getting like these budget airlines that charge for everything."

Airport bosses claim the charge is needed to cover the cost of improving services for passengers and also reduce vehicle emissions. The operator says that it wants to encourage people using the airport to travel there by public transport. But the claims were challenged by Frances Crow, managing director of Kyles on Scotland, a destination management company.

She posted a message on the online petition site that said she was "appalled" at the move which she said would effectively charge tourists to "leave the country".

Mrs Crow said: "It's barmy that we are being asked to pay 1 to drop someone off. It's ridiculous.

"We're being asked to absorb so much in terms of cost and it will be damaging with everyone having another cost put on to them. When we consider the amount of money we're talking about it's seems silly to take that off people."

Lothians Conservative MSP Gavin Brown welcomed the intervention from the business leaders who backed the petition he launched. He said: "The campaign to stop the 'drop-off rip-off' at Edinburgh Airport is gaining momentum by the hour - the petition is now closing in on 1,000 signatures in just a few days. I welcome some recent signatories to the campaign from the Edinburgh business community.

"This adds yet more weight to a compelling case to scrap the unwanted charge.

I urge BAA to listen to their passengers and drop their proposal as soon as possible."

Mr Brown also claimed BAA had failed to consult passengers and airport users over the plan to impose charges, which would also see people who overstay the designated ten minutes made to pay an excess charge.

Gordon Dewar, managing director of Edinburgh Airport, defended the charges, which he claimed were needed to get through the current economic difficulties.

He said: "We welcome the support of business organisations who understand we, like every other business across Scotland, have to make difficult decisions on the best way to navigate the current economic climate.

"We understand those that do not agree with the principle of this charge, but we believe that it is the right decision."

How Scotsman revealed 'shabby' treatment of passengers

THE news about the decision to impose the charges was revealed by The Scotsman - a move described as a "shabby way to treat airport passengers" in a leader in the newspaper.

• Airport management defended the move. The airport's MD, Gordon Dewar, denied that the move was "profiteering" the day after the story about the charges were revealed.

• Budget airline Ryanair said it had "absolutely no problem" with the fee.

• A flurry of letters from Scotsman readers expressed the overwhelming view that the charges were badly thought out.

• Lothians Conservative MSP Gavin Brown launched a petition against the charges and predicted that thousands of people would back the campaign to stop the charges.z