The Manchester Airport parking rules you need to follow - or face a £100 fine

 

Make sure you follow these rules or you could end up out of pocket.

By now you're probably aware of Manchester Airport's controversial drop-off charges.

Introduced last July, drivers dropping passengers off are charged £3 for five-minute stays, or £4 for 10 minute stays.

But what you might not know is there are also strict rules that need to be followed.

And if you fall foul of the terms you could be slapped with a £100 fine.

But luckily the rules are pretty simple.

The drop-off zone at Terminal 1

Here's what you need to know:

• Don't use the drop-off zone for picking up
• Don't leave your vehicle unattended
• Don't obstruct other vehicles
• Park within the bays.

A Manchester Airport spokesperson said the £100 fine would only apply to serious breaches of the terms and conditions, such as leaving a vehicle unattended or using the drop-off zone to pick up a passenger.

They say that if drivers are obstructing other vehicles, or not parking within the bays, then these incidents would most likely be dealt with by car park marshals.

And there's also a couple of other ways you could end up out of pocket.

You can only stay in the drop off zone for 10 minutes, otherwise, you'll have to cough up £25.

A pilot was arrested at Manchester Airport (Image: Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd)

And you can't return to the drop-off zone within 30 minutes of leaving, or else you'll face a £25 'recirculation fee'

But blue badge holders are allowed to drop off outside of the terminals free of charge.

Manchester Airport revealed last March that it was planning to scrap its free 'kiss and fly' drop-off lanes, saying that they were causing 'extreme congestion'.

A Manchester Airport spokesman said that since the introduction of the charges last July there has been a dramatic reduction in congestion around the forecourts.

There is a dedicated site away from the forecourt areas for people who still wanted to be dropped off for free at the airport.  Shuttle buses run frequently to the terminals from this site. 

They said: “Due to our continued growth, we had seen a significant increase in the number of vehicles trying to access our forecourts, which was causing crippling congestion across the site and leading to a negative experience for our passengers.

“Since making changes to the drop-off arrangements last July, we have seen a dramatic reduction in congestion on our terminal forecourts, which has had a positive impact on the customer experience.”

This article was originally published in manchestereveningnews.co.uk