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£20 charge to drop off passengers at Heathrow airport
Jason Beattie, Chief Political Correspondent17.03.08
Drivers taking passengers to Heathrow face a £40 charge under secret plans being drawn up by the airport operator, the Standard can reveal.
BAA wants to charge a £20 fee for dropping off passengers by car - on top of a daily parking fee of £20. The airport operator is also looking at a £3 congestion charge fee for lorries using roads around the airport, including the M4.
The new pricing regime would be introduced if BAA is given permission to expand Heathrow by building a sixth terminal and a third runway.
According to documents seen by the Standard, a new charging regime would help pay for the cost of the expansion, raising up to £137 million a year.
It would also "mitigate air quality problems", helping to meet pollution standards set down by the Government. This in turn would open the way for further expansion of the airport.
The policy is the "best performing" option if BAA wishes to meet the Government's stipulation that the expansion would not result in an increase in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels.
The documents say that a charging scheme has "merit" because "the onairport and perimeter road network is very busy, with a substantial majority of the flows being airport-related".
The regime would come into force in 2015 - to coincide with an increase in the number of flights after the introduction of mixed mode, or take off and landings from the same runway.
A consultation on the expansion plans finished last month and a decision is expected before the summer holiday.
Conservative MP for Putney Justine Greening said: "This report suggests BAA could be rewarded by making huge sums of money out of environmental problems created if the expansion of Heathrow goes ahead - a sort of eco-profiteering.
"The draconian level shows how severe the congestion problem could be with an extra 40 million passengers a year mainly using the local road network."
Ms Greening said it was disgraceful this information was not included in the official consultation document.
"How can you have a proper consultation when so many key details were kept from the document?" she said.
The revelation came as councils representing over six million people joined forces today to state their opposition to new runways at Stansted and Heathrow.
The new group - CO2 or Councils Opposing a Second Runway - is an alliance of councils including Hertfordshire County Council and Braintree District Council with the 14 London boroughs opposed to expansion.
•British Airways was criticised today for flying three aeroplanes to Asian destinations from Heathrow with no passengers on board. The flights covered 15,000 miles and pumped out hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide.
Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said: "It is ludicrous that British Airways is operating ghost flights in order to keep its take-off and landing slots at airports."
British Airways said the flights were needed to avoid a "knock-on" effect on its schedule.
Reader views (15)
Boycott Heathrow and stop flying! Most flights are frivolous anyway.
- Neil, London, UK
How can BAA, a private company, charge the public for using a road that is public property and accessible to anyone that feels the need to drive on it
The roads that lead to Heathrow and the surrounding perimeter roads (are private property) owned by BAA.
- Steve, Braintree, Essex
One wonders who owns the roads around Heathrow is it the tax payer or BAA?
- Peter Black, Seaham County, Durham
To get to Heathrow from Bromley via public transport I need to deal with six flights of stairs, let alone escalators and no luggage storage areas on overground or tube trains. Get the accessibility sorted first before forcing people off the road.
- Sara, Bromley
How can BAA, a private company, charge the public for using a road that is public property and accessible to anyone that feels the need to drive on it? Maybe I will declare the road outside my house as a congestion zone and charge drivers £25 to use it?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
So boycott Heathrow then and fly from an alternative they would soon change their mind. If there were not so many shops at the Heathrow terminals there would be no need for five terminals let alone six.
- Pete, Barry Wales
Why do these people think they can take money out of our pockets without a murmur...and please please don't mention global warming....because I have yet to be told how the government is spending the already imposed "green tax".
- Gary, Surrey UK
I think it is time for British Airports Authority (Which is Spanish owned) to be opened up to market forces and competition. They clearly feel they can charge what they like with their current monopoly.
- Rob, Chelmsford Essex.
So I assume the BAA fat cats would be happy to pay this fee? Doubt it. What about families with kids travelling - the logistics of taking kids with prams and luggage on the train is impossible. £20 is a lot - its doubling the cost of the cab.
- Charlie, London
Since the tube is being extended to deal with Terminal 5, why not extend further by a few miles and create a drop off zone for all buses, cars etc with a high frequency rail link/tube to the airport terminals. This would control traffic flow to the airport, reduce terrorist threat in vehicles, reduce CO2 at airport, and could be basis for integrated transport policy. The current tube network does not support luggage requirements and has few lifts for those less mobile. Heathrow express only goes to Paddington (so not very practical). I currently have no choice but to drive to the airport for a flight first thing, as the tube does not start early enough in the morning. The entire transport dilemma needs more practical thought.
- Liz, London
I think it is time I bought my own aeroplane, so that I can fly in and out when I like without worrying about £40 drop off and parking charges.
Anyone wants a free flight?
- Subhash V Sampat, Pinner UK
Majority of the people living in London don't even want an expansion, I think its pathetic that we should have to fork out in order to pay for something we don't even want!
Car park charges are ridiculous as they are, but it just doesn't make any sense to charge for a simple drop off! How are people expected to pull their suitcases around on public transport when that is as bad as it is? It takes forever for a bus to come along, and tubes are always rammed that whenever you do get a tube that finally comes along there is barely enough room for a person let alone the suitcases that they're carrying with them.
With the increases in taxes, and now this we will definitely see a blow to the number of people going on holiday.
- Anon, London
£20 drop off charge? So how are you expected to get to the airport with suitcases, young children or the infirm? How early will you have to set off on public transport given that you already have to check in 3 hours in advance of your flight time? Please, no one mention public transport,especially around Heathrow which doesn't even have a direct rail link (not everyone comes out from London and can be expected to use the overcrowded and tube service).
- Steve, London
Rip off Britain, who needs it?
- James, New Malden, Surrey
The NuLabour collusion, the lack of air capacity in the South East, the health impacts the destruction of education, the failure to address the most damaging greening gas, and now fresh from the lie that is the DFT under Ruth Kelly a greenwash tax set up to simply assist BAA fund the enormous debt that it has as a result of being sold to the Spanish owner - for gods sake stop this insane multi-tiered madness and build something new somewhere that actually improves peoples lives not destroy them.
- Christian, London UK
