Liverpool Airport Taxi Drivers Plan Boycott Over £7 Pick-Up and Drop-Off Charge

Black cab drivers are considering a boycott of Liverpool John Lennon Airport when new parking and taxi charges come into force next week.

The airport has confirmed that its minimum Express Drop Off and Pick Up charge will increase from £6 to £7 for up to ten minutes from Tuesday, 1 September.

The same £7 minimum charge will also apply to hackney carriage drivers using the official taxi rank outside the terminal.

Some Liverpool black cab drivers are now considering not working from the airport rank on the day the new tariff is introduced in protest at the increase.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport has confirmed that it is aware of the potential protest but says it does not currently expect widespread disruption for passengers.

The airport says taxi drivers using the rank pass the charge on to passengers as part of the fare, in the same way that private hire drivers using the Express Drop Off and Pick Up car park can pass airport access costs through to customers.

The airport’s current published tariff remains £6 for up to ten minutes in the Express area, rising to £10 for up to 20 minutes. The £7 minimum charge announced for 1 September will therefore represent a £1 increase on the shortest stay.

A free alternative remains available at Drop Off 2, where drivers can currently stay for up to 20 minutes without charge. The car park is a short walk from the terminal, although it is subject to restrictions including a two-hour no-return rule.

For Liverpool and Merseyside passengers looking for a pre-booked journey to Liverpool or Manchester Airport, Manpool Transfers provides airport and long-distance transfer services across the region.

Liverpool Airport says the increase is necessary because of rising operating costs, including business rates, energy prices, National Insurance and minimum wage increases.

It also says income from parking is an important part of funding airport operations and investment.

According to the airport, the new £7 charge remains broadly in line with prices at a number of other UK airports.

Drivers considering the boycott argue that operating costs for taxi drivers have also risen significantly and that another airport charge ultimately increases the price passengers have to pay.

The airport says that if insufficient black cabs are available on the terminal rank during busy periods on 1 September, staff will help arriving passengers find alternative onward transport.

The action should currently be described as a potential boycott rather than a confirmed full strike. Reports indicate that a number of black cab drivers are considering staying away from the airport, but there has been no suggestion that every taxi driver will participate.

Private hire services are also not part of the proposed black-cab rank boycott, although private hire operators using the airport’s Express parking area will also be affected by the higher charge.

The dispute could become particularly noticeable for arriving passengers because Liverpool Airport’s hackney carriage rank is located directly outside the terminal and normally provides taxis for arriving flights.

With the new charge due to take effect on Tuesday, 1 September, drivers and passengers will now be watching to see how many cabbies take part and whether the airport experiences any shortage of taxis at peak arrival times.

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