Birmingham Airport invests in new "drop and go" car parking facility

The new "drop and go" facility is adjacent to both terminals

Birmingham International Airport is spending £2 million on adapting

and improving the traffic flow and parking arrangements for drivers

dropping-off and collecting passengers, following last year’s security

alert at Glasgow Airport. The Airport is now urging drivers to use the

facilities sensibly to ensure that traffic flows are kept moving, and to

use the car parking arrangements in the way they are intended
.
A major piece of work has already been carried out on the "Drop

and Go" facility, which is designed for drivers dropping-off

passengers only. This area was previously known by many users as

the Short-Stay Surface Car Park, adjacent to the Terminals, but the

new name change of "Drop and Go" describes exactly what it is

intended to do. This will overall increase the number of ‘drop off’

spaces compared to the previous set down areas available

prior to June 2007
.
Richard Gill, the Airport’s Head of Market Development

- Commercial, explains, “The Airport was forced to shut down the set

down roads at the front of its two terminals within minutes of the

Glasgow Airport attack in June 2007, causing confusion for

passengers and challenges for the Airport Company
.
”Since then, we’ve had some major challenges and we understand

that many drivers have been disappointed by the previous

arrangement. However, I believe my team and our commercial

partners have made the best out of a very difficult situation and we

can now move forward
.
“The investment we have made, to the "Drop and Go" facility in

particular, will help access, safety and speed of dropping people at

the Airport and we urge drivers to only use the "Drop and Go"

facility for dropping-off passengers only, and to use the

Multi-Storey Car Parks for collecting people"
.
To improve the site for drivers who are collecting passengers from

flights into Birmingham, they are advised to park in the Multi-Storey

Car Parks. If drivers need to wait for long periods of time before

their passengers arrive, they can wait for free, up to an hour, in the

surface Long Stay Car Park One. Here, drivers can dwell in a newly

installed waiting facility
.
Work carried out on the "Drop and Go" facility includes installing an

additional entrance lane and realigning all three lanes to run parallel

to each other so that they are used equally. A third exit lane has also

been installed so that there is less likelihood of queues on departure,

and all parking bays have been angled at 45 degrees, in a herring

bone fashion, allowing motorists to use them more efficiently.

There are also special bays for mini buses and disabled drivers
.
The number of pay machines has also been increased and they are

conveniently located throughout the "Drop and Go" area to reduce

drivers’ congestion time
.
Typical prices in "Drop and Go" are £1 for 20 minutes and £3 for

every subsequent 15 minutes thereafter. When picking passengers

up, the Multi-Storey Car Parks are priced at £1 per 30 minutes

and £3.30 per hour; however, after this time the usual short term

charges apply. Alternatively, drivers can wait for their passengers

to call on arrival in Long-Stay Car Park One for free up to one hour

.

Tuesday 17 June 2008