Passengers to be charged £1 to use a trolley
01.02.12
Manchester Airport is to charge passengers for using luggage trolleys from April, the MEN reports. They will have to pay £1 or €2 to use a trolley at any of the airport’s three terminals, and they will not get their money back. Passengers currently pay £1 to use trolleys, but get their money back when they return it.
Airport bosses admitted to the newspaper that the fee is likely to be unpopular, but say it is needed to cover the £1.3m cost of replacing their ageing fleet of trolleys. The new trolleys, which are lighter and easier to steer, are fitted with GPS so airport staff can track them down when they go missing ! This will also help make sure enough trolleys are available in busy areas.
Customer services director Julie Armstrong told the newspaper: ‘Since 2007 we have invested over £100m in creating a modern airport by refurbishing our terminals and upgrading our airfield. It is important to get the basics right which is why we are also investing over £1m in new trolleys. But to continue making multi-million pound investments in the airport, when the cost of air fares is falling, means that airports cannot continue to provide services like trolleys for free.'
'We know that charging for trolleys will not be popular, which is why we are following the advice of consumer groups and telling passengers before they get to the airport. With around 5% of passengers using the trolleys, this method [charging a fee] also ensures that only those using them pay, rather than spreading the cost across everyone.’
The new fleet of trolleys arrives on April 10. Some other UK airports - including Bristol, Luton and Birmingham - already charge passengers to use their baggage trolleys.
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