Odsal taxi firm criticises Leeds-Bradford International Airport over new taxi charges (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Odsal taxi firm criticises Leeds-Bradford International Airport over new taxi charges

11:00am Friday 18th January 2013 in News By Julie Tickner, T&A Reporter

Sarah Moss

A private hire firm in Bradford fears it could lose up to £200 a week following an increase in drop-off charges at Leeds-Bradford International Airport.

And Bradford Private Hire Association says it will send its protests to airpiort bosses about the fees hike.

Sarah Moss, who runs Absolute Travel in Odsal, said she had no choice but to pass the rise – from £2 to £6 – on to customers.

The charge is only for larger vehicles, but Mrs Moss said it affected all three of the firm’s minibuses. She said it would apply regardless of whether the drop-off or pick-up took two minutes, or 25.

Absolute Travel in Cranbrook Avenue, does around six Leeds- Bradford International Airport runs per week.

Mrs Moss said that six out of 26 bookings in the diary had been cancelled when customers were told £12 would be added to a round-trip fare.

“We will be passing on the whole charge. When the charge was £2, we weren’t passing that on. But £6, we just can’t do it,” she said.

“No other airport charges those prices, not even the ones in London.”

Mrs Moss estimated the loss in business could be £200 a week as people opted to get lifts from friends or relatives, rather than use private hire.

Mrs Moss’s concerns were echoed by executive member of the Bradford Private Hire Association, Raja Shakhawat Hussain.

He said: “It’s not fair. It’s common sense that it’s just not fair to have a £6 charge.

“The drivers will be not be happy about it and we will be contacting the airport to complain.” Mr Hussain said there would be chaos on side roads and lay-bys near the airport as people decided to avoid the charge by dropping-off passengers elsewhere.

A spokesman for the airport said: “Only larger minibus vehicles of more than eight seats are subject to the higher charge and they now have a dedicated lane with the space they need to operate safely.”

She did not comment on Mr Hussain’s concerns about road-side drop-offs, but said the airport had a dedicated area which could be used for up to 60 minutes free of charge for dropping or collecting people.

She said that area was within walking distance of the terminal, but also had a shuttle bus.

The spokesman said the airport also offers a discount scheme for private hire vehicles and taxis with seven seats or fewer.