Archie McCaig has criticised Manchester Airport
Archie McCaig(Image: MEN)
A motorist has criticised Manchester Airport after he was charged £25 for picking up his family, claiming he was only parked up for four minutes.
Archie McCaig, 63, night manager at the Grand Hotel in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, arrived at Terminal 2’s barrierless pick-up zone at at 8.23am on Friday, November 21.
He says that within four minutes he had picked up his nephew and family from their holiday to Florida and was driving away from the pick-up zone, only to encounter a queue of traffic as he exited. Having registered his Jeep Renogade to pay airport parking fees automatically, he received the bill by e-mail the following morning and was shocked by what he saw.
The bill, which had been automatically paid, was for £25, and claimed he had had been parked up for 30 minutes until 8.53am. Under the barrierless system at T2, drivers are charged £5 for up to five minutes but bigger fees apply for longer periods. There is a fine of £100 if payment isn’t received by midnight the following day, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Archie recalled the area was ‘mobbed’ with cars as he left and he was left with many others in a queue of traffic as he exited the pick-up zone. He suspected there had been an accident at the nearby roundabout.
He told the Manchester Evening News: “I think it’s absolutely scandalous for four minutes of parking. There must have been hundreds of cars there all queuing to get away. If everybody has been charged an extra £20 instead of the usual £5, that’s thousands of pounds just for the time I was there plus however long the traffic jam went on for. It’s not about the money. I’d pay £25 to someone sleeping rough but it’s the principle.
“It was manic, with everyone trying to get in and then out. I’m quite happy to appear in court to challenge this. I’ve paid £25 and I was only parked there for four minutes.”
In an e-mail to the airport demanding a £20 refund, Archie wrote: “I am very disappointed in the way this has been handled and will need to take this up with Mayor Burnham’s office if this is not resolved very soon.”
Barrierless parking has been introduced at Manchester Airport(Image: Manchester Airport)
When he received no reply from the airport, he sent another e-mail three days later saying: “I am dismayed that we have not received any correspondence.”
A spokesman for Manchester Airport confirmed officials were looking into the circumstances of the case and would be in touch with Mr McCaig.
Earlier this year, a Manchester Airport spokesperson said: “Drop-off and pick-up charges help us to manage demand for access to our forecourts, where space is limited, and reduce traffic congestion around the site.
“It means that the areas remain efficient even at busy times because people are not staying there for extended periods. This means people can feel assured that if they wish to use our pick-up or drop-off facilities they will be able to do so quickly and effectively.
“There are clear signs in and around the drop-off and pick-up areas that remind people to pay online or over the phone by midnight the day after their visit.
“We also offer a completely free drop-off facility next to the nearby JetParks 1 car park. It is served by a 24-hour shuttle bus that runs every few minutes and takes less than six minutes to get to all three terminals.”