Bristol Airport has announced that Blue Badge holders will receive 40 minutes parking for a reduced fee of £5 and will no longer have to go to the Special Assistance Desk to get an exit pass. The changes, which come into force from Tuesday, May 2, have been introduced following a meeting between the airport and the disability forum.
Currently Blue Badge holders have to go to the Special Assistance Desk inside the terminal to get an exit pass to leave the car park in a 30-minute time allocation. This time restriction was a challenge for many disabled customers, particularly those using wheelchairs.
Bristol Airport has implemented new technology which will allow for Blue Badge holders to drive directly to the exit barrier and scan their Blue Badge. This involves scanning the barcode on the reverse side of the badge and receiving 40 minutes of parking for a reduced fee of £5.
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Family and friends who are dropping off customers with a Blue Badge will also be able to use the Drop & Go car park by scanning the Blue Badge at the exit barrier. This will allow them to benefit from the 40 minute stay for £5.
If the Blue Badge holder is travelling and needs to take their Blue Badge with them, the vehicle driver needs to retain a copy of the Blue Badge and the badge details required at the exit barrier to access the reduced fee.
The new system has been designed to save time, inconvenience and stress for Blue Badge customers without having to access the terminal before being able to leave the airport. A help button is available on all exit barriers.
Andy Wright, founder and CEO of Accessible Travel Consultancy Services said: "I am delighted to learn that Bristol Airport, having listened to the feedback from the disabled community, have now decided to revise their Drop & Go parking tariffs and policy. The old system required Blue Badge holders to visit the Special Assistance Desk within the terminal where they would present their badge in person before collecting an exit pass.
“All of which had to take place within 30 minutes and could be quite a challenge for many wheelchair users to comply with. The new system will allow Blue Badge holders to scan their badge at the exit barrier for a discounted price of R5, allowing a stay of up to 40 minutes, thereby making life considerably easier.”
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Bristol Airport said higher tariff costs are placed on Drop & Go to and from the airport which are the highest generator of car traffic and have encouraged the public to use other forms of transport to and from the airport, including public transport. The airport has a free one hour Waiting Zone located at the entrance to the Silver Zone south of the terminal where drivers can wait before moving to collect customers from the car parks closer to the terminal.
There is also a courtesy transfer bus service between the Waiting Zone and the terminal. Designated disabled parking spaces are available in all car park, with help call points situated in car park bus stops and walkways.
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