BCC slams BAA airport's entry fees
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• Buses and coaches carrying staff and airline passengers to BAA airports are to be heavily charged for permission to gain access. A charge of 25.20 per coach at Heathrow is intended, while a 210 fee is envisaged at Gatwick. Similar charges are being proposed at other BAA airports.
The Bus & Coach Council has reacted angrily to the fees and says that operators, making less than a penny profit per passenger on most bus routes, will be unable to absorb the increased costs. The BCC im plies that operators will pass the charges on to their passengers. "Tourists and air travellers who already contribute to BAA's profits through landing charges, duty-free shops and other airport facilities are now set to pay extra for travelling to and from the airports," claims the BCC.
Many buses serving the airports are operated under contract to local authorities, says the council, so the new BAA demands will have to be met by ratepayers, or by passengers through fare supplements.