BAA concerned over taxi review
24.01.09
Passengers will have to wait longer for taxis at Aberdeen Airport if suggested changes get the go-ahead. The Evening Express reports that Airport operator BAA has ‘serious concerns’ over how city council taxi plans could affect its customers.
Currently only Comcabs taxi drivers can pick up at the airport. But the local council wants to remove the current taxi zoning and allow any licenced Aberdeen driver to operate from the airport. Licensing committee convener Callum McCaig has ordered a report from council officers after problems with taxis last year. He told the newspaper: ‘At the moment we have a situation where airport taxis are not licensed to pick up in the city, and city cabs are not licensed to pick up at the airport. No other Scottish airport has this set up.’
However, a spokesman for Aberdeen Airport said: ‘We have serious concerns that passengers will have to wait much longer for taxis.’ Aberdeen Taxi Group spokesman Brian Sinclair explained: ‘If there is a holiday flight coming in at 2am on a Sunday morning, there will be no cars because the town is so busy.’
Comcabs claim it is already difficult to find drivers to work to the airport during unsociable hours – because most drivers prefer to work the more lucrative city centre routes. Comcabs manager KK Lam said: ‘We feel the current system is working. If we don’t have a designated fleet we think it would be difficult to find drivers.’
The proposals will be discussed at a meeting of the city council’s licensing committee on February 3.
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book hotels aberdeen airport or park aberdeen airport at the lowest price, click on these links to two great aberdeen airport car parking and aberdeen airport hotel price comparison websites.
