Heathrow drop off charge

[LondonFly]

I wanted to go to T3 short stay car park but missed the turning. So drove to exit, passed the £5 drop off zone but not actually in it. I stayed in the right lane to exit and drove around back to the short stay car park. I parked and paid. Do I also need to pay the drop off fee frmissing the car park first time round?

[zapato1060]

To be safe just pay the £5. In related tip, Worker at Heathrow told me you can also get picked up at the drop off zone. Everyone does it. Obvs pay the £5

[marshy11]

LondonFly wrote:

I wanted to go to T3 short stay car park but missed the turning. So drove to exit, passed the £5 drop off zone but not actually in it. I stayed in the right lane to exit and drove around back to the short stay car park. I parked and paid. Do I also need to pay the drop off fee frmissing the car park first time round?

I did a similar except I missed a turn and went right through the bus lanes. It was a while ago and there were roadworks and in my defence the signs were not visible – but I thought best to pay the £5 and keep my fingers crossed not to get a fine. I heard nothing.

[JDB]

zapato1060 wrote:

To be safe just pay the £5. In related tip, Worker at Heathrow told me you can also get picked up at the drop off zone. Everyone does it. Obvs pay the £5

That’s not very good advice! You aren’t allowed to pick up there and there are penalties for doing so as shown on the huge notices. It is monitored by camera (different to the ANPR for the drop off) as well as in person.

[SteveJ]

zapato1060 wrote:

To be safe just pay the £5. In related tip, Worker at Heathrow told me you can also get picked up at the drop off zone. Everyone does it. Obvs pay the £5

Definitely do not pick up in the drop off area! First you’d need to time it immaculately as you can’t wait there, second your likely to be caught out by the patrols and as @JDB says definitely by the cameras. Thirdly it’s only £1 more and far less stressful to use the short stay car park for pick ups (£6 for 0-29 minutes in the short stay).

[Londonsteve]

I wonder if the £5 charge has led to a major reduction in the volume of people getting dropped off at the airport by car?
I haven’t been to Heathrow by road once since the charge came in. Whether I’m being dropped by family or a taxi, either way I’d have to pay the fiver. It’s only £5.60 on the tube and during peak hours the journey’s quicker.

It seems 5 quid is the magic number because that’s the amount HAL bills TFL if you arrive or depart with the Elizabeth Line. Fun fact: use a paper travelcard and HAL doesn’t get any money as they can’t track your journeys!

[memesweeper]

I wonder if the £5 charge has led to a major reduction in the volume of people getting dropped off at the airport by car?

I’d be surprised if it had any impact at all except on very local people. Driving in/around the M25/London is such a PITA a fiver is neither here nor there. And if it only impacts local journeys it won’t be doing anything much about emissions either.

[SteveJ]

memesweeper wrote:

I wonder if the £5 charge has led to a major reduction in the volume of people getting dropped off at the airport by car?

I’d be surprised if it had any impact at all except on very local people. Driving in/around the M25/London is such a PITA a fiver is neither here nor there. And if it only impacts local journeys it won’t be doing anything much about emissions either.

It was always a cash grab by LHR post COVID, never about reducing congestion or emissions.

[WaynedP]

In related tip, Worker at Heathrow told me you can also get picked up at the drop off zone. Everyone does it.

Yesterday, Instead of usual rendezvous at Costa Coffee following ejection from LHR T5 Customs into Arrivals Hall, our regular local mini-cab company driver told me to call him, whereupon he directed us to lifts and top floor.

I only realised on emerging at Departures that he was proving the practice of picking up in the £5 drop-off zone does indeed appear to be becoming more widespread.

By his cavalier attitude to speeding and lane-changing without indicating on the M25 ride home, I doubt he was concerned by the signs prohibiting passenger pick-up in the LHR drop-off zone.

[JDB]

SteveJ wrote:

memesweeper wrote:

I wonder if the £5 charge has led to a major reduction in the volume of people getting dropped off at the airport by car?

I’d be surprised if it had any impact at all except on very local people. Driving in/around the M25/London is such a PITA a fiver is neither here nor there. And if it only impacts local journeys it won’t be doing anything much about emissions either.

It was always a cash grab by LHR post COVID, never about reducing congestion or emissions.

I’m not sure how you can characterise it as a “cash grab” when the cash raised goes directly to reducing the passenger service charge, unlike the drop off charge at non price regulated airports.

[AJA]

WaynedP wrote:

In related tip, Worker at Heathrow told me you can also get picked up at the drop off zone. Everyone does it.

Yesterday, Instead of usual rendezvous at Costa Coffee following ejection from LHR T5 Customs into Arrivals Hall, our regular local mini-cab company driver told me to call him, whereupon he directed us to lifts and top floor.

I only realised on emerging at Departures that he was proving the practice of picking up in the £5 drop-off zone does indeed appear to be becoming more widespread.

By his cavalier attitude to speeding and lane-changing without indicating on the M25 ride home, I doubt he was concerned by the signs prohibiting passenger pick-up in the LHR drop-off zone.

My last arrival at LHR T5 in August I had the same thing with my local car company – picked up at the departure level. I have no idea whether they get fined but that’s their issue, not mine.

If driving myself to pick up or drop off a passenger I always use the short stay carpark.

[SteveJ]

JDB wrote:

SteveJ wrote:

memesweeper wrote:

I wonder if the £5 charge has led to a major reduction in the volume of people getting dropped off at the airport by car?

I’d be surprised if it had any impact at all except on very local people. Driving in/around the M25/London is such a PITA a fiver is neither here nor there. And if it only impacts local journeys it won’t be doing anything much about emissions either.

It was always a cash grab by LHR post COVID, never about reducing congestion or emissions.

I’m not sure how you can characterise it as a “cash grab” when the cash raised goes directly to reducing the passenger service charge, unlike the drop off charge at non price regulated airports.

Being forced by the regulator to reduce passenger service charges does not equal ‘must introduce drop off charges’.

[SteveJ]

WaynedP wrote:

In related tip, Worker at Heathrow told me you can also get picked up at the drop off zone. Everyone does it.

Yesterday, Instead of usual rendezvous at Costa Coffee following ejection from LHR T5 Customs into Arrivals Hall, our regular local mini-cab company driver told me to call him, whereupon he directed us to lifts and top floor.

I only realised on emerging at Departures that he was proving the practice of picking up in the £5 drop-off zone does indeed appear to be becoming more widespread.

By his cavalier attitude to speeding and lane-changing without indicating on the M25 ride home, I doubt he was concerned by the signs prohibiting passenger pick-up in the LHR drop-off zone.

It’s a £1 difference Vs using the short stay car park, presumably they’re doing multiple pick ups in any given day to make the total saving worthwhile, but seems a lot of hassle instead of just adding £1 to the fare.

[Londonsteve]

Navigating in and out of the short term car park is a PITA and quite time consuming. I can imagine at peak arrival times there’s congestion around the minicab pick up area, further increasing the time the driver spends on the job. The drop off zone is straight in and out. Especially in the evening when departures is becoming quiet it can be far quicker and easier to use that. The fact they routinely pick up in the drop off zone suggests there’s no real enforcement otherwise they’d soon go bankrupt paying the fines.

[Dollar]

Get in touch with their live chat and explain the situation. They will check if your number has been registered and penalty charge triggered.
They are very helpful and will sort it for you.

I contacted them last time I missed the 24/48 hour window to make the online payment. Since I contacted them, they just took the 5£ from me and asked me to contact them after I receive the PCN so that they can waive it off.

[WaynedP]

Londonsteve wrote:

Navigating in and out of the short term car park is a PITA and quite time consuming. I can imagine at peak arrival times there’s congestion around the minicab pick up area, further increasing the time the driver spends on the job. The drop off zone is straight in and out. Especially in the evening when departures is becoming quiet it can be far quicker and easier to use that. The fact they routinely pick up in the drop off zone suggests there’s no real enforcement otherwise they’d soon go bankrupt paying the fines.

Yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s tacitly condoned by HAL because it maximises revenue receipts at times that don’t negatively impact genuine drop-offs.

For the moment …