AIRPORT OPERATOR DAA is being accused of a “money grab” after securing permission to start charging people who drop-off and collect passengers at Dublin Airport.

Fingal County Council has granted the airport authority planning permission to install the infrastructure and road changes necessary in order to facilitate charging tolls for driving close to the entrances to terminal one and terminal two.

The system is due to be in place in the second half of this year, after the summer holiday season.

It will operate using Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that scan plates at entry and exit and charge based on the time spent in the drop-off zone.  

The DAA says the charges are being introduced as part of its “sustainability agenda” and they aim to “reduce car journeys to and from the airport and to encourage passengers to make greater use of public transport.”

A free drop off and pick up option will continue to be available in the Express Red long-term car park.

“Sustainability”

Social Democrats transport spokesperson Catherine Murphy said the introduction of tolls “uses sustainability as a pretext but has all the hallmarks of a money-grab.”

“The reality is the only public transport connection to Dublin Airport is via bus and even those limited services are dwindling.

“The Airlink, which had been operated by Dublin Bus, has ceased operations while the Dublin Airport Hopper, from Maynooth and Tallaght, has also suspended services,” Murphy noted.

People travelling to the airport would like to have an alternative to using their car, but using limited or sporadic bus services is not tenable for many.

The comments were echoed by Labour’s transport spokesperson Duncan Smith, who said “the reality is we do not have the public transport infrastructure in place for most people to get to and from the airport.”

“I have repeatedly demanded that the government stop kicking the can on Metrolink for this very reason,” Smith said.

Several members of Fingal County Council also voiced their disapproval to the introduction of fees.

Councillor James Humphreys, from the Swords area where the airport is located, said residents are concerned that it will result in people being dropped off on roads surrounding the airport, creating further issues. 

Dean Mulligan said it was “an apparent act of greed on the part of the DAA.”

The Independents 4 Change councillor, who worked at the airport during college, said there is a “long-standing culture” of collecting and dropping-off people at the airport.

He said trips usually take less than seven minutes and charges would have a negative impact on people who work at the airport.

Green Party councillor Ian Carey said: “I don’t believe this latest charge from the DAA has anything to do with making Dublin Airport more sustainable.

“I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest that the drop-off or pick-up charges, that are being proposed, will lead to people using public transport or cycling when getting to the airport.

This is just another way of the airport opening up a new revenue stream.

Red long-term car park

The location of the new free drop-off and pick-up zone in the Express Red long-term car park was also a source of criticism. 

Independent Councillor Joe Newman said he parked in the red car park at the weekend and he’ll “never do it again”.

“The bus waits around for quite a long time there, which I experienced last Sunday. Then it goes around and about and then goes down to terminal two to pick people up. When it eventually comes back around it goes to the Red car park and goes to the different zones,” councillor Newman said.

I’d walk home rather than do all that again. 

When asked by The Journal, the DAA did not say how long the journey from the Red zone to the airport typically takes or how often buses will operate from the area when the new system is introduced.

Google Maps suggests it’s a 12 minute walk to terminal two and a 16 minute walk to terminal one.

Councillor Newman said the bus trip took approximately 15-20 minutes when he used the service at the weekend.

People with reduced mobility

The DAA says there will be special provisions for people with reduced mobility.

When asked what these measures will be it noted that the airport currently operates a parking system that has dedicated spaces for persons of reduced mobility and this will also be the case within the new zones.

Regarding the frequency of buses from the red zone and people with reduced mobility who don’t drive or don’t want to park at the airport the DAA said: “All these matters will be given due consideration in advance of these areas becoming operational.”

“DAA will be liaising with the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland before the introduction of any new system and have not yet decided on a pricing structure and how that may or may not apply,” it added.

Catherine Murphy said Dublin Airport has given “scant consideration” to the impact of the measures on people with reduced mobility.