Drop off charge 'will cause congestion'
19.08.10
Drop off charges at Edinburgh Airport are likely to cause the congestion they are supposed to eradicate, the Scotsman reports a tourism body has said. The Midlothian Tourism Forum, which represents almost 40 tourism businesses, made the comments after a meeting of its council last week.
The fee will be introduced in October after the airport's short stay car park has had a £1m upgrade. Motorists dropping off or picking up passengers will be subject to a charge of £1 for the initial 10 minutes as they leave the car park. The airport says the charges are required to fund the upgrading and expansion of the drop off zone and that they will cut congestion and lead to more passengers using public transport.
However, critics of the plan argue the move will disadvantage those with a disability and the elderly, will not improve the current arrangement and the fee is not high enough to discourage drivers, so it effectively becomes a tax. Chairman of the Midlothian forum Quintin Young told the newspaper: ‘The proposals are as likely to cause the congestion they are designed to eliminate and are equally likely to cost more to administer than they raise in revenue.’
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