Manchester airport ends charging for full car park

Monday, 25th October 2010

Manchester Airport will no longer charge drivers for using the car park when there are no empty spaces. Sensors have been installed in the airport’s multi-story car park that can tell when the facility is full. Drivers are then warned that there are no more empty spaces.

Electronic sign boards located at the way in to the airport’s Terminal One car park receive live data from the sensing equipment and give drivers a visual warning. The airport implemented the changes after it was cautioned by Trading Standards about charging drivers who had passed the entrance barriers, despite the fact that the drivers had searched in vain of empty parking spaces.

Gerald Steele, 63, teaches economics at Lancaster University. He wasted 20 minutes looking for an empty space in the car park at Manchester airport. He complained that when he finally gave up his search, he was forced to pay two pounds to leave the car park.

Trading Standards later inspect the car park in question. They ended up warning senior car park management that they could be in breach of consumer protection regulations. Airport bosses say they have restructured parking to make parking easier. They have also added a system in which green lights above spaces make it easier for drivers to find parking.

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