He added: “If convenient, free drop-off zones work at so many international airports, [so] why not here in the UK?”
Yet while some are celebrating the news as a win for drivers, Conservative shadow transport secretary Richard Holden branded the move as “yet another shameless U-turn by Labour”.
Holden claimed: “After whipping parliamentarians to oppose a review of airport drop-off charges in July and just days after Conservatives announced a review of them at our conference, Labour has capitulated.”
As of the time of writing, Gatwick and Stansted charge £10 for 10 minutes and 15 minutes respectively at their drop-off zones. London City charges users an eye-watering £8 for just five minutes of parking – the equivalent of £1.60 per minute – while the UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow, demands a more reasonable (but nonetheless still expensive) £7 for its drop-off service. That said, Heathrow doesn’t allow waiting around in its drop-off zones; drivers must let their passengers out and then leave immediately.
Outside the capital, Manchester Airport’s drop-off charge is £5.50 for five minutes, while Edinburgh and Bristol both demand £8.50 for 10 minutes of usage. Forgetting to or deliberately avoiding paying any of these charges can result in a fine of up to £100.
Why have airport drop-off fees been introduced?
Many airports claim that as well as preventing congestion, drop-off charges are designed to help reduce local air pollution. Following Stansted Airport’s increase in drop-off charges in March of this year, a spokesperson told Auto Express: “Since being introduced in 2012, Express Set Down charges have been designed to tackle ‘kiss and fly’ journeys, which are the least sustainable way of accessing the airport, involving four car journeys per flight. Reducing the number of cars accessing the space immediately in front of the terminal also helps manage congestion in a capacity-restricted area.”
