Gatwick Airport announces plans to charge people dropping off passengers outside terminals
It is to recoup costs lost during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gatwick Airport has announced plans to charge people dropping off passengers directly outside its terminals.
Currently cars are allowed to do that for free, but a £5 charge for 10 minutes of parking will be introduced next year.
It is to recoup costs lost at the West Sussex airport during the coronavirus pandemic.
Anyone who does not wish to pay the charge will be able to drop-off or pick-up passengers in the airport’s long-stay car parks with two hours free parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminals.
The charge will also help Gatwick continue to reduce ‘Kiss and Fly’ - the least sustainable type of journey to the airport as it involves two return car journeys – while also encouraging people to use public transport and potentially cut road traffic congestion and emissions at Gatwick and surrounding local areas.
Currently around 15 per cent of airport journeys are ‘Kiss and Fly’.
Gatwick is said to be looking at solutions to allow those who regularly drop-off and pick-up at the South Terminal each day to access to the train station to make a token annual payment contribution.
Suitable solutions for Blue Badge holder’s are being looked at.
The airport also plans to put a proportion of the revenue into Gatwick’s existing Sustainable Transport Fund.
No date has yet been set to introduce the new charging system, but the first step includes a consultation on the implementation of a Red Route system across the airport campus to indicate that stopping to park, load or unload, board or alight from a vehicle is prohibited.
Revenue raised through Red Route fines will also be used to fund sustainable transport initiatives under the guidance of the airport’s Transport Steering Group, which includes external local representatives.
Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer, said:
"Gatwick has just gone through the most challenging period in its history and this new drop-off charging scheme will give us a new revenue stream to aid recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and ultimately help us continue as an important provider of economic prosperity and jobs across the region.
"Gatwick is also committed to promoting sustainable travel and this new scheme will encourage passengers to consider more sustainable transport options, including public transport services or parking options at the airport, which only involves two single car trips, compared to two return trips when dropping off.
"The airport already has strong public transport links and we will build on this with a proportion of the revenue raised supporting new sustainable transport initiatives.
"We will also continue to fund our share of the ongoing project to build a new £150 million airport train station."
This investment will see the size of the train station concourse doubled, the addition of five new lifts and eight escalators, and the widening of two platforms to reduce overcrowding.