Glasgow Airport will soon start to charge drivers dropping off passengers at the airport in a bid to ease traffic congestion. The £2 fee is expected to apply from the end of April when construction of a new pick-up and drop-off point is complete. A car rental centre is also being built for companies that serve the airport. It will open on February 13.
According to a spokeswoman for the airport, "all possible alternatives" had been exhausted before arriving at the decision to introduce the charge.
Glasgow has been charging a pick-up fee since 2010.
Construction of the new pick-up and drop-off point, which will be opposite the main terminal building, is currently ongoing. Drivers using the drop-off zone will be entitled to a 10-minute stay.
Amanda McMillan, Glasgow Airport’s managing director hailed the invested as one of the most significant road network upgrades in over 10 years, work that will see traffic flow on St. Andrew’s Drive, reversed.
She said: “It has been apparent for some time that our current drop-off area, which suffers from severe congestion on a daily basis, is simply no longer fit for purpose.
"It was implemented at a time when we were carrying 6.5 million passengers; however, we have since enjoyed sustained growth and are now fast approaching the 10 million mark."
While acknowledging that the new arrangement would probably be unpopular, Ms. McMillan added; “We have resisted introducing a drop-off charge despite most airports of our size having similar arrangements in place for many years, however, having exhausted all possible alternatives we have now reached a point whereby a chargeable facility is the only way to address congestion, discourage non-airport traffic and encourage best use of our road network."
Glasgow’s long stay car park, which is a five-minute bus drive from the terminal building, will still be available free of charge.