Sydney Airport confirms its customer friendly approach

Sunday, 31 Mar, 2006 0

Sydney Airport has abolished the ‘free’ pick-up zone outside the domestic arrival terminal, forcing those picking up travellers to fork out $7 for three minutes parking.

Sydney Airport Corporation denied it was a money-making exercise, saying the zone was abolished to fix traffic flow problems.

The new parking policy, which comes into effect tomorrow, means drivers will not be able to stop while travellers walk from the baggage carousels to vehicles.

They can only stop if the travellers they are picking up are already standing on the kerb of the pick-up zone, and then only for two minutes.

Sydney Airport Corporation spokesman Peter Vicary said the new arrangements were aimed at improving security and reducing traffic congestion. “The new arrangements will enable drivers to pick up passengers already standing at the kerbside,” he said.

“However there will be no waiting allowed at the kerbside by drivers. Currently, some drivers [cause traffic problems at the airport by parking] in the pick-up zone for extended periods of time waiting for passengers to exit the terminal.

“This has created significant traffic congestion. The new measures will ensure the limited kerbside pick up space is more readily available to airport customers.”

Mr Vicary said people had a choice — use their phones to call ahead and make sure their passengers were already there or pay for parking: “The widespread use of mobile phones should enable drivers and passengers to co-ordinate their pick up and avoid any inconvenience.”

That’s right. Just have your father, mother, husband or wife do laps of the airport while you wait for your bags at the increasingly disrupted baggage carousels after first calling them mid-air to tell them that the flight is in a holding pattern or sitting on the tarmac waiting for a bay to be allocated.

Or perhaps they should pay to park, have a meal and shop for that extended period. Now there’s an idea, why didn’t we think of that?

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Graham Muldoon

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