London’s Heathrow Airport is introducing a fee for private cars, taxis, minicabs, and companies such as Uber and Lyft, who drop off passengers at the various terminals. Exempt from the fee are those who use public public transportation and Heathrow Express trains, blue badge holders (those with registered reduced mobility), emergency vehicles, motorcycles and coaches.
The £5 ($8.75) fee which becomes effective October 2021, is charged “per vehicle for each entry into the charging zones”.
Signs will be posted at road entry points to the terminal, though there will be no barriers, only Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras dotted all around the place ready to send you penalties if you don’t pay on time.
Details are yet to advised, but so far it is known that the drop-off charge can be paid online, via a mobile phone or through an automated telephone service. Presumably taxis and ride sharing services will add the charge to their fees.
Vehicles dropping passengers at Heathrow’s long stay car parks are allowed 29 minutes of free parking. Shuttle busses from the car park to the terminal buildings are free. While this avoids charges it can add up to an hour to the general procedures.
In a statement, Heathrow Airport said:
“We have always said that we would consider introducing a form of road user charging and several other approaches to improve air quality and reduce congestion at Heathrow in our 2.0 Sustainability Blueprint and in the Airport Expansion Consultation documentation.
This charge forms part of our updated Surface Access strategy and sustainable travel plans. We updated these plans after reviews were conducted of all airport projects in light of the collapse in passenger numbers experienced at Heathrow due to the impacts of the pandemic and the subsequent loss of £5 million a day. This review included looking at Surface Access projects with the aim being that environmental impacts will continue to be prioritised and reduced, whilst we also protect the business and jobs. This charge goes some way in helping us to achieve this.
The Terminal Drop Off Charge replaces our previous plans to introduce a Heathrow Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (HULEZ) by 2022 and a Heathrow Vehicle Access Charge (HVAC) ahead of the opening of the third runway, which would have incurred a £10-£15 charge.
The revised Surface Access plan ensures Heathrow remains able to meet its long-term public transport goals, which includes reducing congestion on the roads around the airport and improving local air quality. Revenue raised through the charge will be used to offset airport costs, including future sustainable transport investments, as well as helping to lower passenger charges.”