Dublin Airport Drop Off Advice needed

Dionysius2

Need some advice re dropping off a lady and her luggage at Dublin Airport. Over next 24 hours I have to bring a lady from North Co Dublin to Dublin Airport to catch a bus going to Letterkenny. Apparently the bus calls to D/Airport on it's route North. My problem is this :.....how can I get my car as near as possible to the bus stop pickup point which is situated beside the Terminal 1 Car Park but is actually in a zone from which cars (excl taxis) are excluded ? I know how to get to the coach pick up area but stopping is prohibited for private cars. I can not drop this lady of large proportions and her three bags 'a distance' from her coach stop. A short distance say 15 to 20 metres would be OK but when I checked it today I could see no way to get near the coach stop without an infringement of some kind and that I must try to avoid. Anyone to help me please ?? My tks in advance.

coylemj

I think you can park in the short term car park for 20 minutes for free, should give you enough time to grab an abandoned trolley, sort out her bags and maybe even walk her to her bus.

ProudDUB

Does your friend have mobility issues? Can she not walk from the car park like everyone else?

As cars are not allowed stop at the bus stop, it is highly likely that you will be moved along if you attempt to stop, drop her off, start unloading your car & get her sorted. If everyone showed up, stopped their car & unloaded bags and passengers for the buses, it would be traffic chaos. That's the mindset that airport security has if even just one person tries to bend the rules

You may luck out, and be able to get it all done and dusted before airport police show up, but I doubt it. You may luck out and get a sympathetic Garda who will let you stay and drop her and her bags off, but again, don't count on it. If I were you, I'd give it a go. If you get moved on, you get moved on, but odds are you'll at least have time for her to get out of the car. Then you do a circuit of the airport, double back, park the car and bring her her bags.

Note:am not advocating breaking airport parking by laws as a general rule. I just know how hard it is for elderly and mobility impaired people to get get from A to B in places like airports.

zagmund

I know this is DAAs policy and not yours, but it sounds like it could be summed up as "only able bodied people may use these services"

Doesn't sound very friendly, welcoming or inclusive to me.

According to this image - http://maps.google.com/maps?q=dublin&hl=en&ll=53.4284,-6.240696&spn=0.002234,0.006539&sll=32.558759,-82.97887&sspn=25.756728,53.569336&t=h&hnear=Dublin,+County+Dublin,+Ireland&z=18 - the bus park isn't that far at all from the edge of the short term car park, although it may have moved since, I guess. Would she be unable to walk that distance ?

z

ProudDUB wrote: »

Does your friend have mobility issues? Can she not walk from the car park like everyone else?

As cars are not allowed stop at the bus stop, it is highly likely that you will be moved along if you attempt to stop, drop her off, start unloading your car & get her sorted. If everyone showed up, stopped their car & unloaded bags and passengers for the buses, it would be traffic chaos. That's the mindset that airport security has if even just one person tries to bend the rules

You may luck out, and be able to get it all done and dusted before airport police show up, but I doubt it. You may luck out and get a sympathetic Garda who will let you stay and drop her and her bags off, but again, don't count on it. If I were you, I'd give it a go. If you get moved on, you get moved on, but odds are you'll at least have time for her to get out of the car. Then you do a circuit of the airport, double back, park the car and bring her her bags.

Note:am not advocating breaking airport parking by laws as a general rule. I just know how hard it is for elderly and mobility impaired people to get get from A to B in places like airports.

ProudDUB

zagmund wrote: »

I know this is DAAs policy and not yours, but it sounds like it could be summed up as "only able bodied people may use these services"

Doesn't sound very friendly, welcoming or inclusive to me.

It's an airport, not a social club. It's mission statement is to get as many people from A to B in in the fastest and most efficient way possible.

If they are able to be welcoming and inclusive while they go about the main business of what they are about, that's great. But sometimes it is just not possible or feasible to facilitate everyone being able to have door to door service, with no walking, especially at an airport.

That being said, I do think that bus pick up stations and passenger drop off facilities at the airport should have some sort of system in place whereby people of limited mobility can access the bus facilities without having to walk too far. But this being Ireland, it would probably just be abused with people chancing their arms, and pulling into the handicapped spots because they just couldn't be arsed looking for and paying for parking.

zagmund

ProudDUB wrote: »

I do think that bus pick up stations and passenger drop off facilities at the airport should have some sort of system in place whereby people of limited mobility can access the bus facilities without having to walk too far.

So, we're agreed then.

z

An Udaras

Dionysius2 wrote: »

Need some advice re dropping off a lady and her luggage at Dublin Airport. Over next 24 hours I have to bring a lady from North Co Dublin to Dublin Airport to catch a bus going to Letterkenny. Apparently the bus calls to D/Airport on it's route North. My problem is this :.....how can I get my car as near as possible to the bus stop pickup point which is situated beside the Terminal 1 Car Park but is actually in a zone from which cars (excl taxis) are excluded ? I know how to get to the coach pick up area but stopping is prohibited for private cars. I can not drop this lady of large proportions and her three bags 'a distance' from her coach stop. A short distance say 15 to 20 metres would be OK but when I checked it today I could see no way to get near the coach stop without an infringement of some kind and that I must try to avoid. Anyone to help me please ?? My tks in advance.

The T2 Set Down "zone/road" is in sight of all bus stops & the coach park (which is behind the RC Church) all are clearly sign posted. My advice would be to drop her off at the far end of T2 set down road. Grab a trolley load her bags and direct her to appropriate bus stop. Who is she traveling with to letterkenny?



Do you see where the pedistrian orange arrow/route Ends in front of Terminal 2 on the map this is where you could drop her off. This would all be compliant with the Byelaws too once you dont abandon your motor & best of all it's Free.. Very short distance to the buses.

Any where else other then at either terminals official set down areas or an available car parks, You risk contravening the Airport Byelaws.

Dionysius2

The responses to my query are helpful especially coylemj (tks). I'm an elderly person myself and my friend is a lady with a weight problem and with limited mobility. She copes bravely though and tries every day to be as active as she can. Her walking pace is about half normal walking pace but she manages to get around. Crossing a road is difficult though and she dislikes it as she cannot do it swiftly.
Saying that Dublin Airport is an airport and not a social club sounds harsh though when all she wants to do is to be brought to the airport with her bags and there to board the L/kenny coach at a legit bustop. The alternative is to bring her to Busaras but I'm told that is a worse option for 'dropping off ' as regards traffic and accessability.
Seems odd though, does it not that, there is no provision whatsoever for a private motorist to drop off a pedestrian at or near the entrance to the coach zone at Terminal 1 or am I daft to have such an expectation ?

Before the stress levels and the adrenaline starts pumping may I hasten to add that I'm referring at all stages to the traffic system at DA and not to personnel all of whom I accept do their best.

coylemj

OP, I'm glad you found my suggestion helpful but I have to sympathise with the general tenor of the other responses. I have an elderly relative who is in and out of different hospitals and I can see far too often how people abuse facilities that are laid on by public bodies for people like you but which are abused to the point where the authorities have no choice but to withdraw the facility and make life difficult for the genuine cases.

I'm talking here about able-bodied people who borrow a car with a disabled sticker, then drive to the local hospital to visit someone, park the car in the disabled spot right outside the door because they're too mean to pay the car park charges and too lazy to walk 100m and thereby block the spot for someone who really is disabled, I see it happen all the time.

In the case of Dublin Airport, the police are pretty aggressive about moving people on precisely because if they were known to be lax on enforcement, people would clog up the airport with abandoned cars while dropping people off/waiting to collect them.

You are paying the penalty for the inconsiderate behaviour of others.

An Udaras

Dionysius2 wrote: »

The responses to my query are helpful especially coylemj (tks). I'm an elderly person myself and my friend is a lady with a weight problem and with limited mobility. She copes bravely though and tries every day to be as active as she can. Her walking pace is about half normal walking pace but she manages to get around. Crossing a road is difficult though and she dislikes it as she cannot do it swiftly.
Saying that Dublin Airport is an airport and not a social club sounds harsh though when all she wants to do is to be brought to the airport with her bags and there to board the L/kenny coach at a legit bustop. The alternative is to bring her to Busaras but I'm told that is a worse option for 'dropping off ' as regards traffic and accessability.
Seems odd though, does it not that, there is no provision whatsoever for a private motorist to drop off a pedestrian at or near the entrance to the coach zone at Terminal 1 or am I daft to have such an expectation ?

Before the stress levels and the adrenaline starts pumping may I hasten to add that I'm referring at all stages to the traffic system at DA and not to personnel all of whom I accept do their best.

Have you thought about contacting the Dublin Airports reduced mobility aid company. Here's a useful link you could get your friends met at either drop off point and brought to her bus stop. Would seem like a reasonable request and the service is free. Your friend is still a customer of the airports even not in the traditional passenger sense

@coylemj your post hits the nail on the head mate.. But the preferred term is that "the police are proactive about moving people on" aggressive isn't PC anymore

spurious

Any chance you could bring another person with you?

Drive into 'coach park', take the right hand road, drop lady and bags and other person as close as you can to bus stop, then you drive off and do a loop out of the airport and back in to pick up your second person.

Do you need to wait to see her on to the bus?

Dionysius2

spurious wrote: »

Any chance you could bring another person with you?

Drive into 'coach park', take the right hand road, drop lady and bags and other person as close as you can to bus stop, then you drive off and do a loop out of the airport and back in to pick up your second person.

Do you need to wait to see her on to the bus?

Spurious.....your post is well thought out and fairly helpful too. I may well do that. Also An Udarus....I will look at that link.
But I'm left with the notion that the coach stop at DA is for the purpose of picking up and dropping off passengers yet the system has been designed to exclude passengers driven there to be 'dropped off only' adjacent to the coach stop. My question for DA traffic people is a simple : "is that the best that can be done for those who arrive in private cars or is it designed to discourage such clients ? "
One can only be dropped off beside the coach stop if one goes there in a coach or a taxi or as a pedestrian.....( her last Dublin taxi experience would need a new OP and I know what would be said before it had gone too far so won't go there...)
Have to sort it this afternoon anyway so thanks for all the positive responses. Food for thought maybe ?

zagmund

The point that people seem to be coming to in the posts here is the bus facility doesn't seem to cater very well for people who not arriving by air.

Yes, yes, I know it's an airport, but there's no requirement that people can only get a bus if they have arrived by plane. It's a transport interchange - arriving by car to get a bus from the bus park is perfectly valid.

Obviously for most people the solution is to park in the short term car park and walk over, but in this specific case this is not an option. I would have thought that it was reasonable to have 'blue badge' parking in the region of the bus park also.

I would disagree with this comment though - "You are paying the penalty for the inconsiderate behaviour of others" - in this case they are paying the price for inability or unwillingness to enforce regulations. I know that DAA are well able to enforce regulations elsewhere - there's no reason they couldn't have a set down 'blue badge' space or two with indication that this is for access to the bus park only with a maximum period of (whatever) minutes.

I think in all probability this just wasn't considered when the bazillions were being spent on the airport design - although reduced mobility access to all public areas should have been.

z

tatli_lokma

Dionysius2 wrote: »

But I'm left with the notion that the coach stop at DA is for the purpose of picking up and dropping off passengers yet the system has been designed to exclude passengers driven there to be 'dropped off only' adjacent to the coach stop. My question for DA traffic people is a simple : "is that the best that can be done for those who arrive in private cars or is it designed to discourage such clients ? "
One can only be dropped off beside the coach stop if one goes there in a coach or a taxi or as a pedestrian.....( her last Dublin taxi experience would need a new OP and I know what would be said before it had gone too far so won't go there...)
Have to sort it this afternoon anyway so thanks for all the positive responses. Food for thought maybe ?

How did you get on in the end Dionysius? I only ask because as far as I was aware most buses in Dublin airport are drop off only when they come from Dublin to wherever, and pick up only when they are heading towards Dublin. Many of the drivers are happy to ignore this and will allow people to get onboard at the airport, but technically if the bus departs Dublin, heading elsewhere via the airport, they are only supposed to drop off. I have had a quick check on Bus Eireann's website, and it states Dublin airport to Letterkenny as drop off only (not pick up).

So, possibly this is why the DAA have the system set up as it is - because there is no need in their eyes to provide a service, as the bus does not operate the airport stops as a general stop - they are only providing the bus facility for the benefit of the airport users, not other travellers via another medium.

sagmund wrote:

arriving by car to get a bus from the bus park is perfectly valid

as mentioned above, as far as DAA are concerned its not, hence why the timetables for buses through the airport specify pickup only when heading from Dublin, and drop off only when heading towards Dublin. Its a pick up/drop off point for Bus Eireann passengers, not a bus park.

bren2001

I regularly stop across from the bus stop to collect my sister/drop her off. Once or twice ive waited with her at the bus stop and just left my car there, nobody has come along. You should be ok but be prepared to be moved along.

An Udaras

Little Ted wrote: »

How did you get on in the end Dionysius? I only ask because as far as I was aware most buses in Dublin airport are drop off only when they come from Dublin to wherever, and pick up only when they are heading towards Dublin. Many of the drivers are happy to ignore this and will allow people to get onboard at the airport, but technically if the bus departs Dublin, heading elsewhere via the airport, they are only supposed to drop off. I have had a quick check on Bus Eireann's website, and it states Dublin airport to Letterkenny as drop off only (not pick up).

So, possibly this is why the DAA have the system set up as it is - because there is no need in their eyes to provide a service, as the bus does not operate the airport stops as a general stop - they are only providing the bus facility for the benefit of the airport users, not other travellers via another medium.


as mentioned above, as far as DAA are concerned its not, hence why the timetables for buses through the airport specify pickup only when heading from Dublin, and drop off only when heading towards Dublin. Its a pick up/drop off point for Bus Eireann passengers, not a bus park.

Many bus routes operate/depart the Airport separate to those that only stop to drop off/collect. The Airports coach park is within 3-4 min on foot of either terminals set down areas or equally as close if you park in car park at a cost of €3 hour.

Dublin Airport is a transport hub with many of its users coming to the airport without the intention of getting on or going near a plane. The DAA provide ample close access for private vehicles to drop off persons wishing to avail of bus/coach facilities, they my not allow you to park at a bus stop but the proximity to it is more then reasonable. As CoyleMJ had touched upon enforcement is essential to keep the airports roads system moving because if people could they would just park anywhere & anyway without a thought for other airport users.

I personally would caution anyone about leaving your vehicle elsewhere then stated above or unattended as your only looking for unneeded bother. You could of course be lucky and get away with it :cool:

tatli_lokma

An Udaras wrote: »

Many bus routes operate/depart the Airport separate to those that only stop to drop off/collect.

Yes many do, but Bus Eireann is not one of them, hence my comments in my post. Bus Eireann operates to and from the airport via Bus Aras, so the airport is only a pick up enroute to Bus Aras, and a drop off enroute to other destinations via the airport.

bren2001

An Udaras wrote: »

I personally would caution anyone about leaving your vehicle elsewhere then stated above or unattended as your only looking for unneeded bother. You could of course be lucky and get away with it :cool:

You can see your car the whole time...There is a set down zone, if someone came along all you have to do is walk across the one lane road and you are at your car. Not that much of a risk now...

An Udaras

bren2001 wrote: »

You can see your car the whole time...There is a set down zone, if someone came along all you have to do is walk across the one lane road and you are at your car. Not that much of a risk now...

Forgive me but I read your post to read you parked & left your car unnattended on a roadway opposite to where buses depart (which is most defintietly not a set down point by virtue of double yellow line & the No Stopping - No Waiting road markings and not at either of the two official set down areas in front of either of passenger terminals.

Regardless of the amount of time you leave your car unattended from if it's found with no driver it will be immediately impounded and towed. That's an expensive €140 in any language. Just warning people is all..

bren2001

An Udaras wrote: »

Forgive me but I read your post to read you parked & left your car unnattended on a roadway opposite to where buses depart (which is most defintietly not a set down point by virtue of double yellow line & the No Stopping - No Waiting road markings and not at either of the two official set down areas in front of either of passenger terminals.

Regardless of the amount of time you leave your car unattended from if it's found with no driver it will be immediately impounded and towed. That's an expensive €140 in any language. Just warning people is all..

It says set down area where I stop, theres no yellow lines, no nothing, its a set down area. I would also like to see them try to impound my car when I 20 foot away from it...

Dionysius2

Little Ted wrote: »

How did you get on in the end Dionysius? I only ask because as far as I was aware most buses in Dublin airport are drop off only when they come from Dublin to wherever, and pick up only when they are heading towards Dublin. Many of the drivers are happy to ignore this and will allow people to get onboard at the airport, but technically if the bus departs Dublin, heading elsewhere via the airport, they are only supposed to drop off. I have had a quick check on Bus Eireann's website, and it states Dublin airport to Letterkenny as drop off only (not pick up).

So, possibly this is why the DAA have the system set up as it is - because there is no need in their eyes to provide a service, as the bus does not operate the airport stops as a general stop - they are only providing the bus facility for the benefit of the airport users, not other travellers via another medium.


as mentioned above, as far as DAA are concerned its not, hence why the timetables for buses through the airport specify pickup only when heading from Dublin, and drop off only when heading towards Dublin. Its a pick up/drop off point for Bus Eireann passengers, not a bus park.

L/Ted....you raise issues that I had not greatly considered. The idea that the facility at DA is intended only as a 'drop-off' point for air travelers brings a new dimension to the issue and if true, then I must bow to that.

But that is not the way it has been operating. In phone discussion with my L/kenny friend last evening I raised that very issue only to be told that on the many occasions she had used the facility in the past embarking at DA there had always been other passengers there who had been dropped off by private cars at several points closeby where stopping off to offload passengers IS NOT ALLOWED as per the very prominently displayed Penalty Notices.

Last weekend, in the instance giving rise to this post, having considered all the options, I brought my friend to Busaras with her agreement because the DA dropoff proved too difficult for her to face. One could of course, run the gauntlet of parking controls at DA and park with impunity (aka taking a chance) which some do from time to time but that is a risky business and can have some very unintended consequences. Clamping is in operation and the Airport Police apparently have a robust style in confronting those drivers who think that they are exempt Airport Traffic laws.

Meanwhile, my LKny friend is still wondering how you can have a coach embarkation point at DA which by design excludes those who would arrive to embark by means of private transportation ? L/Ted....you may well have answered that......if one accepts your explanation.....but I do think there would be divided views on that in any group situation.

tatli_lokma

Dionysius2 wrote: »

Meanwhile, my LKny friend is still wondering how you can have a coach embarkation point at DA which by design excludes those who would arrive to embark by means of private transportation ? L/Ted....you may well have answered that......if one accepts your explanation.....but I do think there would be divided views on that in any group situation.

As i said, many of the bus drivers don't have a problem with picking people up at the airport for onward journey, but this is not the correct procedure. It clearly states on the time tables that the airport to Letterkenny is a Drop off stop only.

The idea is that you get a bus from the airport to Bus Aras and then connect with your bus there. It is totally daft, as it would result in, taking your friend as an example, getting on the bus at the airport, travelling to Bus Aras, only for the same bus to then travel through the airport and drop people off! total nonsense and this is why 99% of the bus drivers ignore the drop off/pick up only rule.

Link to the timetable for L/Kenny here
http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1309952641-32.pdf

Bus Eireann timetable wrote:

P : − Pick−up stop only. D : − Drop−off stop only.

it is total nonsense, but I am only providing the info as it may givee reason as to why DAA do not provide much services for joining buses at the airport

XDivaX

Little Ted wrote: »

Dionysius2 wrote: »

But I'm left with the notion that the coach stop at DA is for the purpose of picking up and dropping off passengers yet the system has been designed to exclude passengers driven there to be 'dropped off only' adjacent to the coach stop. My question for DA traffic people is a simple : "is that the best that can be done for those who arrive in private cars or is it designed to discourage such clients ? "
One can only be dropped off beside the coach stop if one goes there in a coach or a taxi or as a pedestrian.....( her last Dublin taxi experience would need a new OP and I know what would be said before it had gone too far so won't go there...)
Have to sort it this afternoon anyway so thanks for all the positive responses. Food for thought maybe ?

How did you get on in the end Dionysius? I only ask because as far as I was aware most buses in Dublin airport are drop off only when they come from Dublin to wherever, and pick up only when they are heading towards Dublin. Many of the drivers are happy to ignore this and will allow people to get onboard at the airport, but technically if the bus departs Dublin, heading elsewhere via the airport, they are only supposed to drop off. I have had a quick check on Bus Eireann's website, and it states Dublin airport to Letterkenny as drop off only (not pick up).

So, possibly this is why the DAA have the system set up as it is - because there is no need in their eyes to provide a service, as the bus does not operate the airport stops as a general stop - they are only providing the bus facility for the benefit of the airport users, not other travellers via another medium.

sagmund wrote:

arriving by car to get a bus from the bus park is perfectly valid

as mentioned above, as far as DAA are concerned its not, hence why the timetables for buses through the airport specify pickup only when heading from Dublin, and drop off only when heading towards Dublin. Its a pick up/drop off point for Bus Eireann passengers, not a bus park.

It's actually the opposite buses heading towards Dublin would only drop passengers and those leaving Dublin would only pick passengers up...just saying

zagmund

XDivaX wrote: »

It's actually the opposite buses heading towards Dublin would only drop passengers and those leaving Dublin would only pick passengers up...just saying

Yep, the other way around would make no sense at all - then all the BE routes serving the airport would simply be Airport-City shuttles.

Here's the Rosslare route showing it's an anti-shuttle - http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1300287394-2.pdf. They don't want people taking the bus from the airport to Busaras, so Busaras is marked 'pickup only' in this case.

z

tatli_lokma

yeah sorry - this drop off/pick up nonsense on the timetables has me gone dizzy! needless to say, its a bit daft either way. Given it is an airport, it should be allowed to pick up or drop off there, from either direction. Seems so silly to even specify pick up or drop off only! only in Ireland, eh?

spurious

Not directly related to the buses, but to the dropping off/picking up issue, I can't be the only one who when collecting someone from the airport, loiters menacingly in an empty car park at Airside or Omni, waits on a text and swoops into the departures set down section, or the coach park to pick someone up?

Is this how it was planned to be, or do the Airport think we'll all pay a minimum of 3 euro parking (if you're lucky) to collect someone?

An Udaras

Officially vehicles wishing to collect people at the airport should use the public car parks within the airport. This is the policy that the airport has in place and parking anywhere else is technically in breach of the Byelaws. Hence the term "Set Down" only and not Pick Up.

If people don't wish to pay for parking they are encouraged to wait outside the airport.. Many choose the coachman's pub I believe also and wait for the text.

This is not to say that if you pulled up and the people you where collecting where ready to jump into your car you probably would be fine. All depends on the police officer on duty and your own luck...

Often though, police will conduct vehicle check points (VCPs) at both entrances to either terminals departure roads/set down areas. At these checkpoints single occupant vehicles including taxies will be directed to car parks or too exit the airport etc..

Dionysius2

spurious wrote: »

Not directly related to the buses, but to the dropping off/picking up issue, I can't be the only one who when collecting someone from the airport, loiters menacingly in an empty car park at Airside or Omni, waits on a text and swoops into the departures set down section, or the coach park to pick someone up?

Is this how it was planned to be, or do the Airport think we'll all pay a minimum of 3 euro parking (if you're lucky) to collect someone?

This discussion has really opened my eyes. Am I correct in assuming that a private motorist cannot pickup a person at Dublin Airport without going into one of the designated parking zones and incurring a charge ? In other words, in those instances where private cars do pickup passengers on the departure road dropoff point, this is actually illegal and the Airport Police have a duty to prevent this ? Seems like those who are prepared to do some ducking and diving find ways of beating the restrictions while those of us who go there less often will usually try to comply with the guidelines and are disadvantaged as a result.

An Udaras

Spot on Dionysius2.. It's always those that have no regards for others that make those who are prepared to abide by the rules suffer more

Dont worry those who openly try to flout the requiremenst under the byelaws often end up paying a lot more then €3 parking charge.

bren2001

An Udaras wrote: »

Spot on Dionysius2.. It's always those that have no regards for others that make those who are prepared to abide by the rules suffer more

Dont worry those who openly try to flout the requiremenst under the byelaws often end up paying a lot more then €3 parking charge.

An Udaras wrote: »

Officially vehicles wishing to collect people at the airport should use the public car parks within the airport. This is the policy that the airport has in place and parking anywhere else is technically in breach of the Byelaws. Hence the term "Set Down" only and not Pick Up.

If people don't wish to pay for parking they are encouraged to wait outside the airport.. Many choose the coachman's pub I believe also and wait for the text.

This is not to say that if you pulled up and the people you where collecting where ready to jump into your car you probably would be fine. All depends on the police officer on duty and your own luck...

Often though, police will conduct vehicle check points (VCPs) at both entrances to either terminals departure roads/set down areas. At these checkpoints single occupant vehicles including taxies will be directed to car parks or too exit the airport etc..

You must not visit Dublin Airport very often. The vehicle check points are gone, gone a long time. The booth was taken down a couple of years back, I remember driving through it as a kid (which wasn't that long ago but...).

I regularly pick people up from the airport, I live close enough to the airport to leave when the plane lands, Ive been moved on by the Police Officer on duty once or twice but never have I been fined, usually just a tap on the window to move on, and if I was, which I doubt I could be, I'd take my chances in court.

Yes, the people that I am collecting are ready to jump into the car but that is because I'm not going to annoy the officer on duty by sitting there for 20 minutes. On busy days I wont go up and will meet them outside the airport.

If the DAA dont want me to do it, they should have officers outside, regularly I drive up and there is nobody there, or one bloke standing in the middle.

Dionysius2

bren2001 wrote: »

You must not visit Dublin Airport very often. The vehicle check points are gone, gone a long time. The booth was taken down a couple of years back, I remember driving through it as a kid (which wasn't that long ago but...).

I regularly pick people up from the airport, I live close enough to the airport to leave when the plane lands, Ive been moved on by the Police Officer on duty once or twice but never have I been fined, usually just a tap on the window to move on, and if I was, which I doubt I could be, I'd take my chances in court.

Yes, the people that I am collecting are ready to jump into the car but that is because I'm not going to annoy the officer on duty by sitting there for 20 minutes. On busy days I wont go up and will meet them outside the airport.

If the DAA dont want me to do it, they should have officers outside, regularly I drive up and there is nobody there, or one bloke standing in the middle.

But aren't your actions as described offences under whatever Airport byelaws control the parking there ? I mean if the Airport Police can post up notices saying that a fine of €100 will issue for parking transgressions is that not based on some kind of legislative framework ? And you are cocking a snoot at that, doing whatever pleases you and by implication giving the finger to Mr Airport Traffic Manager and all his crew ? And you seem to claim some kind of entitlement to do so or are you just one of the 10% who are opposed to everything ?

An Udaras

bren2001 wrote: »

You must not visit Dublin Airport very often. The vehicle check points are gone, gone a long time. The booth was taken down a couple of years back, I remember driving through it as a kid (which wasn't that long ago but...).

I meant random/snap vehicle check points, you of course are correct that the static post was removed many years ago.. thank god

I regularly pick people up from the airport, I live close enough to the airport to leave when the plane lands, Ive been moved on by the Police Officer on duty once or twice but never have I been fined, usually just a tap on the window to move on, and if I was, which I doubt I could be, I'd take my chances in court.

Enforcement penalties will only effect those people who refuse or fail to comply with the requirements of the polis i.e. being told to move on..

A person that is reasonable and moves their vehicles has little to worry about.

Yes, the people that I am collecting are ready to jump into the car but that is because I'm not going to annoy the officer on duty by sitting there for 20 minutes. On busy days I wont go up and will meet them outside the airport.

If the DAA dont want me to do it, they should have officers outside, regularly I drive up and there is nobody there, or one bloke standing in the middle.

It's a manned daily post so if a officer isn't there it may be down to fact they are dealing a incident elsewhere.

My respone in bold

@dionysius the legislative powers that a member of the Airport Polis have currently comes under Section 42 Of the Air Navigation & Transport Act 1998 this creates the offence to breach a byelaw. The Byelaws themselves also grant the police powers to impound,immobilize and tow vehicles.

Powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices comes under Section 27 of State Airport Act 2004.

bren2001

Dionysius2 wrote: »

But aren't your actions as described offences under whatever Airport byelaws control the parking there ? I mean if the Airport Police can post up notices saying that a fine of €100 will issue for parking transgressions is that not based on some kind of legislative framework ? And you are cocking a snoot at that, doing whatever pleases you and by implication giving the finger to Mr Airport Traffic Manager and all his crew ? And you seem to claim some kind of entitlement to do so or are you just one of the 10% who are opposed to everything ?

If the Airport Police tell me to move Ill leave the airport and tell the person Im collecting to walk to the garage down the road. Yes I do feel entitled to pick somebody up from the Airport for free, I dont see why after them spending a lot of money to fly somewhere and back should the Airport not provide me with a place to pick the person up for free. Im not part of the 10% opposed to everything, I pay my taxes and agree with many of the policies the Goverment introduce and if I dont agree Ill protest against it e.g. Student Fees or OAPs having to pay for public transport, they are my views and I am entitled to say what I think.

Everybody breaks the rules in some way, I break them by picking somebody up from the Airport. The day I get a €100 fine is the day I will stop.

@An Udaras on rainy days Ive seen them standing inside the door. I'm not trying to attack them in any way but I often see it not being manned (mainly at Terminal 2). I'm sure they have more important things to be dealing with (I say that with no sarcasm). And I comply with the Airport Police when the speak to me and move on straight away but if they walked up to my window with a fine, I'd take my chances in the small claims court.

tatli_lokma

bren2001 wrote: »

, I'd take my chances in the small claims court.

District court

but aside from that I agree with your sentiments. The only reason these by-laws are in place is to allow the DAA to make more money. They are not there for security reasons - if they were then you would not be allowed to drop off either. I don't see what the difference is between someone driving to departures, unloading a few cases and passengers and heading on, without delay, and a person pulling up, collecting someone and putting their bags in the car and heading on without delay. Its the same thing really, and requires more or less the same amount of time taken.

I do acknowledge that at busy times, were everyone to do this, then it would be really busy. So I can understand encouraging people to use the car park, but I think there should be a cheaper rate, or better yet 30 mins free. I know someone mentioned there is 20 mins free, but I have never experienced this? Last time I went I wasn't sure if the flight was delayed, so I parked and went in. I literally collected the passenger and went straight out to the car. In all it was 15 mins and I was charged a full hour.

An Udaras

Byelaws exist for many reasons but can be generally catoragised for the Safety,Security & Proper Operation of an airport.

You of course have to be commercially aware that it is after all an airport and parking charges not only covers the cost of maintaining the facilities but also free's up airport roads for those dropping off.

If the airport installed a pick up/collection area with the first 5/10 min free and to enter your registration was recorded by ANPR/Vehicle Regtration plate number reading camera's and if you went over that 5min's you would pay €3 to exit or if you left the area you could not return as your reg had been logged.. Do you honestly think people would still not try and get away with free option and breach the rules?

I think they would personally even if there was a regulated and controlled pick up point with adequate penalties for over stayers.

As I've stated if the person your collecting is ready to jump in your vehicle you won't get to much hassle. The whole deterrent of enforcement penalties is in relation to those that refuse to move on or those that fail to follow directions of an officer.

At the end of the day neither party wants to go out and penalise someone needlessly. All that paperwork..

The Byelaws allow for the effective policing,regulation & control of an airport and set out clearly rules & regulations that should be followed. Like in every other part of life we will bend or break some rules with all good intentions.. life isn't black or white and common sense should always prevail in these situations.

munchkin_utd

An Udaras wrote: »

<snip>
If the airport installed a pick up/collection area with the first 5/10 min free and to enter your registration was recorded by ANPR/Vehicle Regtration plate number reading camera's and if you went over that 5min's you would pay €3 to exit or if you left the area you could not return as your reg had been logged.. Do you honestly think people would still not try and get away with free option and breach the rules?
<snip>

Munich Airport has a similar system installed for the past few months.
Entering the drop off zone theres a barrier and you get a ticket just like in the normal car park.

You get the first 10 min free and then its a saucy 3 euro per half hour if you overstay your welcome .
Its a nice balance between allowing people to park right by the departures gate and controlling folks parking there for too long.

bren2001

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Munich Airport has a similar system installed for the past few months.
Entering the drop off zone theres a barrier and you get a ticket just like in the normal car park.

You get the first 10 min free and then its a saucy 3 euro per half hour if you overstay your welcome .
Its a nice balance between allowing people to park right by the departures gate and controlling folks parking there for too long.

I think that is a fantastic system. I would have no issues over the charge after the 10 minutes as it stops people staying too long.

An Udaras although some people would still try to "beat the system" many people, myself included, wouldn't see the point and would happily use this area.

Dionysius2

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Munich Airport has a similar system installed for the past few months.
Entering the drop off zone theres a barrier and you get a ticket just like in the normal car park.

You get the first 10 min free and then its a saucy 3 euro per half hour if you overstay your welcome .
Its a nice balance between allowing people to park right by the departures gate and controlling folks parking there for too long.

This Munich system has much to recommend it and it would be great to see it intro here. Otherwise from all I've read on this thread, I have the distinct impression that the parking restrictions provided at DA are a load of baloney and far from acting as a deterrent actually seem to have the opposite effect in that they are blatantly ignored. Signs threatening sanctions won't be obeyed unless there is a traffic officer standing behind it and even then one should still run the gauntlet as he/she probably will not enforce it. That seems to be the attitude of the general public.
By the way, are the fines ever enforced ? How would the fines be collected anyway ? I suspect said fine would only be collectable if each offending vehicle was fitted with a large yellow boot when the driver returned.

bren2001

Dionysius2 wrote: »

This Munich system has much to recommend it and it would be great to see it intro here. Otherwise from all I've read on this thread, I have the distinct impression that the parking restrictions provided at DA are a load of baloney and far from acting as a deterrent actually seem to have the opposite effect in that they are blatantly ignored. Signs threatening sanctions won't be obeyed unless there is a traffic officer standing behind it and even then one should still run the gauntlet as he/she probably will not enforce it. That seems to be the attitude of the general public.
By the way, are the fines ever enforced ? How would the fines be collected anyway ? I suspect said fine would only be collectable if each offending vehicle was fitted with a large yellow boot when the driver returned.

Yeah, the system doesnt work. The DAA either need to be more strict (last thing I want) or provide a reasonable way of picking people up for free.

If the car is left unattended then you will be fined if the officer sees the car. When I go to pick people up they are standing outside ready to get into the car, I would not go in to the airport and wait for them. They have the reg of the car so would just sue you for the fine.

An Udaras

Several methods can be used in relation to byelaw enforcement.

A Police officer can demand the name & address of the driver along with a proof of identity. (failure or refusal, false or fictions information provided by a person is an Arrestable offence)

LINK

Impound & Tow a vehicle as per the Byelaws

Affix an immobilization device to a wheel per the byelaws

Issue a fixed penalty notice (€100) to the person driving the vehicle or to registered owner of it. (similar manner to how local authorities deal with parking matters) failure by a person to pay a fixed penalty or where a person choose's to contest it will lead to a prosecution in the district court where if on a summary conviction a fine of up-to €3000 can issued by the courts. Per S.27 State Airport Act 2004.

No sueing, No small claims court, No Caseing fines just straight forward prosecution in the district court if required.

Generally a Police Officer will impound the vehicle on the spot and take charge of it and it's towing to the pound. The owners is then left to go pay the fine which is €140 if its impounded & towed to reclaim it.

The enforcement tools available act as a good deterrent to many but some always disregard the rules. Not to repeat myself but picking up someone who ready is generally accepted as fine but it's the stopping,waiting & obstructing other traffic that isn't.

Dionysius2

An Udaras wrote: »

Several methods can be used in relation to byelaw enforcement.

• A Police officer can demand the name & address of the driver along with a proof of identity.
  (failure or refusal, false or fictions information provided by a person is an Arrestable offence) LINK

• Impound & Tow a vehicle as per the Byelaws

• Affix an immobilization device to a wheel per the byelaws

• Issue a fixed penalty notice (€100) to the person driving the vehicle or to registered owner of it. (similar manner to how local authorities deal with parking matters) failure by a person to pay a fixed penalty or where a person choose's to contest it will lead to a prosecution in the district court where if on a summary conviction a fine of up-to €3000 can issued by the courts.
  
  Per S.27 State Airport Act 2004.

No sueing, No small claims court, No Caseing fines just straight forward prosecution in the district court if required.

Generally a Police Officer will impound the vehicle on the spot and take charge of it and it's towing to the pound. The owners is then left to go pay the fine which is €140 if its impounded & towed to reclaim it.

The enforcement tools available act as a good deterrent to many but some always disregard the rules. Not to repeat myself but picking up someone who ready is generally accepted as fine but it's the stopping,waiting & obstructing other traffic that isn't.

That's very clear and commendable. So there is a legislative framework which the Arpt Police can draw upon to give effect to their enforcement efforts and I am in no doubt that they would have to invoke it from time to time.
(P.S. Not quite sure what 'Caseing fines' means though..? )
But one thing is clear......there is a degree of tolerance for the ' picker uppers ' operating on a limited time scale and no parking or abandonment of vehicles even for short periods.....driver must stay with vehicle with instant mobility crucial.....but get this drivers : you are technically in breach of the byelaws if you pick-up in a designated set down area (there being no designated pickup area!) but are likely to get away with it because of the tolerance. Tolerance confers no right though imo.

I'm trying to summarise here what I learned in the course of this thread and hope I have captured the essence of it. If not, please feel free to correct me. Think I'm a lot wiser now.