Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
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Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
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Forecourt changes at Manchester Airport
by Lib Dem team on 21 March, 2018
This article has been sent to councillors by Manchester Airport to give more information on their plans for drop-off charges:
As passenger numbers have grown, we have increasingly experienced major congestion problems on our Terminal forecourts, made worse by a high percentage of visitors repeatedly recirculating at peak times. Although we have invested in various programmes to increase capacity, as much as possible, we are limited by security issues that restrict how close vehicles can get to the Terminal front. The simple fact is our forecourts were not designed to handle the number of vehicles they do today and do not have the capacity to cope with any further growth in the number of people being dropped-off immediately outside our terminals.
We are therefore investing in a dedicated drop-off site, from where a free shuttle service will operate to all three terminals. It is hoped this will contribute to a major reduction in the number of individual vehicles trying to access the most congested parts of our campus.
In parallel, an Express Drop-off charge will be introduced in the areas directly outside our three terminals and Ground Transport Interchange, like those already in place at almost all other UK airports.
As part of these efforts to reduce on-site congestion, we are creating a brand new Public Transport Development Fund, overseen by newly-formed body made up of representatives from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Cheshire East Council and Transport for Greater Manchester. It will work to identify and support initiatives that will improve access to Manchester Airport for passengers and colleagues.
From June if you are looking to drop off or be dropped off at Manchester Airport; this will be possible free of charge at our drop off point or you can choose to pay £3 for five minutes (£4 for ten) to be dropped off outside the Terminal front.
We believe that these changes will free our site from the congestion experienced in recent years and so facilitate smoother journeys for all users.
Another cash cow by Manchester Airport so people who live locally and use the airport for Business now have to pay £4 or go to finny lane tuning a 5 minutes journey in to maybe 45 minutes at best how forward thinking a load off crap ?
So people from Heald Green, Gatley, Cheadle and some parts of Wythenshawe will need to travel to the other side of the airport to get to the Shuttle bus on Thorley Lane causing congestion around the airport. But i suppose as long as it’s not on the airport campus itself that’s fine. It’s a one road access so how can this be feasible. It will be queuing traffic around the airport and people will just get out if they are late and walk. Who actually pays the people who think up these plans. Public transport to the airport from parts of Heald Green is a joke considering we are so close. Also allowing people to stop for up to 10 mins will cause further queues it normally only takes people a couple of minutes and those looping around will just congest the surrounding area so you’re just pushing the problem into the residents.
I think this decision is disgraceful. What a pile of crap to say that it’s to stop congestion. There is no congestion at drop off, cars are there less than 5 minutes. You’re already ripping travellers off by charging for trolleys. To do this is disgusting.
You’re already robbing the public by charging extortionate prices for car parking! Just how much money you want to make out of the public.
Quote 1: “we are limited by security issues that restrict how close vehicles can get to the Terminal front”
Quote 2: “an Express Drop-off charge will be introduced in the areas directly outside our three terminals”
So if I have this right, they have security issues regarding vehicles close to the terminal front, yet at the same time if you pay an express drop-off charge you can drive to the terminal fronts.
So potential terrorists only have to cough up an express charge and they can place a bomb right in front of the terminals. Really?
If it were truly a security issue then every other airport in the UK would also be charging or Manchester Airport would be the biggest airport in the UK.
As neither are true I’d have to go with your assertion John in that it’s more about money than anything else.
Agree with so many of the posts. Seems to me it’s an excuse to suck money out of us. MA has never been user-friendly, this just makes it more so.
Drop off at London Heathrow Airport is FREE, one of the Worlds Busiest Airports, underground and free bus zones within specified areas help with transport. We will be charged for passing through Heald Green and Cheadle Hulme shortly. Local bus route frequencies cut and no alternatives in place.
Another charge added, can we please have transparency in what this charge will benefit the local community.
I understand about drop off but this is more to do with pick UP.
What arrangements are going to be put in place for that ?
Drop off are of little problem as a vehicle pulls up and drops bags and passenge/s and off they go. It’s more to do with people awaiting passengers off flights, if flights are late there is nowhere to stop and wait. The car parks are full with few available spaces causing further problems within the CP. Why not have CP where you can wait free until passenger phones to say they are waiting in designated Location to be picked up,provide a ticket with time which is used to exit designated pick up location. Within time free…More than5 minutes.. fine £10.
Heathrow, the busiest airport in the UK and Gatwick do not charge. I am fed up with our airport always bleating about security and congestion which they have created. They make millions from passengers but are never satisfied. As someone else has said, congestion is caused by pick ups and not drop offs or is this the next thing to charge us. This will certainly enhance the reputation for the airport which currently is pilloried for long delays at security, passport control and baggage collection, I would hope that as it is owned by the ten Greater Manchester Councils that someone may speak out on behalf of the local council tax payers,
What provisions are made for disabled passengers , especially those using wheelchairs ???
As usual Lorraine, we disabled will be the ones to suffer – this time both financially or physically.
Every airport in the world seems to be able to deal with drop offs and pickups without charging, , this is just another way to fleece people nothing more.
I fully agree with the suggestion to maintain free and not inconvenient access for people with wheel chairs etc. But I was wondering what access Taxis will have and I couldn’t see in the above what the rules might be for them.
If it were a security issue then they would let anyone near the terminal front regardless of whether or not they pay a charge. What a ridiculous con. I live in Cheadle near the airport, in the flight path and have to put up with endless noise from aeroplanes which are that close i feel I could reach them with a stick. But if I was to take public transport to the airport it would take me forever to get there. But if they had decent or even half decent public transport then they wouldnt have this problem. No other airport has this problem as they probably have decent public transport around the areas. Cheadle really needs to sort out its public transport .problem and stop penalising the people. Its disgusting and totally disgraceful.
My own experience as someone who has had to use a wheelchair at Manchester airport was very poor in comparison with other airports around the world, although the authorities do claim the situation has improved it put me off and I have not flown since September 2016. On that occasion there was clearly a problem of staff shortage, so we wheelchair users had a long wait. The contraption used to disembark us was a rickety affair that seemed somewhat unsafe. It’s a good job the weather was fine because we were left outside awaiting assistants after leaving the ‘plane. We still had to do a lot for ourselves and would have struggled had we not been blessed with able-bodied companions to help us with our luggage etc when we reached the pick-up point. So how would we have managed if our companions had been denied access to the pick-up point?
Surely it would be more sensible to assess the congestion around the airport once the road works have finished.
It’s difficult enough if you have knowledge of the area, for those who are out of the area and dropping off friends and relatives it’s a nightmare.
As many others conclude it’s a money earner hidden behind a flimsy vail of “reducing congestion”
Manchester Airport should have a dedicated rail service between Manchester Piccadilly this services should stop at all stations on the route and run at 10 minute intervals, this would benefit both airport users and local residents going into and out of Manchester as well as airport users.
Until such provision has been made (and proved not to work) no new charges should been levied or accepted.
Roy
There are already 4 trains per hour from Piccadilly to the Airport.
2 of these stop at every station and the other 2 stop at Heald Green and then the airport.
Very rarely are these trains full (apart from rush hour) so there is no point in more trains.
Don’t forget there is also a tram every 14/15 minutes as well
Yes but none of these trains stop at Cheadle. What are we meant to do if we live in Cheadle? So that means one would have to get a taxi to the train station, and then a train to the airport. I have to put up with the inconvenience of the noise of aeroplanes as I live in the flightpath yet I would have to go all round the houses just to get there.
Hi Iain, most of my thoughts are already expressed here. However I do have a question. How will this affect arrow cars, the airports preferred operator, as they already have a dedicated drop off and pick up point?
Regards
Graham
Cars wait at departures to pick up people who are arriving. The other day I saw several cars with people standing outside them waiting to pick people up as well as passengers returning from holiday waiting for a lift. This is what congests the departure area. No officials were on duty to move these people on. Why not?
What will happen at the Airport Station as regards charging and those people who want to catch the National Express coach to London at 5.50am in the morning??
On my last taxi ride to terminal three the driver advised me that the charges do apply to them and they have to add them to the fare. Clearly this is a money making scheme introduced by an organisation in a dominant market position.
My fear is that the Thorley Lane Jet Park will not be able to manage the volume of drop offs and Pick ups, resulting in severe delays and frustration for passengers.
Iain
I agree with everyone. This is a really bad idea and ill conceived. Could you help your constituents set up an on-line petition to lobby against the proposal?
Regards
Neville