New charges for vehicles at Heathrow should mean public transport subsidies continue
Press Release
3 December 2020
For immediate use
New charges for vehicles at Heathrow should mean public transport subsidies continue
Heathrow Airport have announced that it will introduce charges for terminal access from spring 2021 (1). The fee is expected to be £5 per vehicle. The Airport’s primary motivation for introducing the charge appears to be to claw back some of its losses as a result of the pandemic.
The news comes just two weeks after it was announced that Heathrow will no longer subsidise the Free Travel Zone, which allows for free use of buses to, from and around the airport and its perimeter roads, will be reduced from 1 January 2021 then abolished entirely later next year (2).
Heathrow ended its support for the Heathrow Travelcard, a discount scheme used primarily by workers commuting to and from the airport from across the south east, with immediate effect, on 18th November (see note 2).
The schemes played a key role in allowing travel around the airport perimeter and into the terminals – which are not accessible by any active travel methods such as cycling or on foot – for both passengers and staff and the travelling public, in the specified areas. The abolition of these subsidies is likely to lead to more cars on local roads and therefore an increase in emissions, just at a time when Heathrow is looking to reduce its carbon footprint.
A consultation with stakeholders is underway and final details on the exact fee for accessing the airport and any exemptions will be published in due course.
Reacting to this news, Stop Heathrow Expansion representative Geraldine Nicholson commented:
“Although this scheme is presented as a method of Heathrow inducing further revenue, it will hopefully incentivise less car use at and around the Airport.
“Heathrow Airport should use the funds generated through the scheme to re-introduce the Heathrow Free Travel Zone that they are abolishing in 2021 and other public transport discount schemes that it supported until last month. This is essential if Heathrow are to stand any chance of improving public transport use at the Airport in both the short and long term.”
ENDS.
Notes
Heathrow announce new terminal access charges https://www.heathrow.com/latest-news/forecourt-access-charge-announced
Heathrow abolish Free Travel Zone, Heathrow Travelcard and other public transport subsidies http://stopheathrowexpansion.co.uk/press-releases-1/2020/11/20/heathrow-scraps-free-travel-zone