Uber pick-ups from Canberra Airport back on track

If this decision gets legs, the ACT Labor/Green minority government may have a dilemma with their silent partner, Unions ACT.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-29/uk-tribunal-rules-uber-drivers-deserve-workers-rights/7977208

Canberra’s taxi drivers (the ones with the stranded assets called a taxi licences) will be rejoicing in the ranks.

creative_canberran said :

You are joking. It’s probably the easiest metro airport in Australia now to do it. If you want an era when security didn’t dictate that cars can’t loiter for pickups right at the terminal, head back to the 80s.

It isn’t about “security”. If it were, there would be no drop offs up the ramp at entrance to the terminal. No, its just a cynical money making exercise. No wonder really, since the airports have been sold to the private sector.

Mmmmmm, Uber may soon be be the Dick Smith of the ride share industry.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/uber-lost-least-1-27-124259131.html

creative_canberran said :

You are joking. It’s probably the easiest metro airport in Australia now to do it. If you want an era when security didn’t dictate that cars can’t loiter for pickups right at the terminal, head back to the 80s.

I wouldn’t say security. I’d say Mr Snow’s desire to get as much money for parking as possible.

And I don’t say that nobody does it. I say that every now and then the cops do a blitz.

Would it kill Canberra Airport to open up the arrivals area loop to pickups, with a strictly enforced no-loiter? I see other airports doing this, and it seems to work just fine, especially in this age of mobile phones.

creative_canberran said :

Skyring said :

The airport is designed so that private pickups of arriving passengers are difficult. You’ve pretty well got to park, because there is no pickup area to correspond to the drop-off zone on the departures level.

And yet people try to do it. They take up space in the drop off zone, they hover on corners and in garage entrances. They are a nuisance and a danger.

There are two answers:
1. Pay the few bucks, park, meet the arriving passengers in the arrivals area.
2. Park in one of the free carparks at Majura Park, awaiting a call on your mobile. It takes four minutes to get to either the express green carpark ($3.00 for twenty minutes), or the red outdoor carpark, ten minutes: no charge.

Or you can try something else and risk getting fined by the cops on one of their blitzes. It’s easy to spot someone doing the wrong thing. A car with no passengers climbing the ramp to the drop off zone isn’t there to drop anyone off. Someone waiting at the dropoff zone with luggage is waiting for a pickup.

You are joking. It’s probably the easiest metro airport in Australia now to do it. If you want an era when security didn’t dictate that cars can’t loiter for pickups right at the terminal, head back to the 80s.

Well, most of would agree that Hobart is about 20 years behind the mainland but the airport at Hobart has a free drop-off/pick-up lane outside the airport building (no standing of course).
So, that beats Canberra.

Skyring said :

The airport is designed so that private pickups of arriving passengers are difficult. You’ve pretty well got to park, because there is no pickup area to correspond to the drop-off zone on the departures level.

And yet people try to do it. They take up space in the drop off zone, they hover on corners and in garage entrances. They are a nuisance and a danger.

There are two answers:
1. Pay the few bucks, park, meet the arriving passengers in the arrivals area.
2. Park in one of the free carparks at Majura Park, awaiting a call on your mobile. It takes four minutes to get to either the express green carpark ($3.00 for twenty minutes), or the red outdoor carpark, ten minutes: no charge.

Or you can try something else and risk getting fined by the cops on one of their blitzes. It’s easy to spot someone doing the wrong thing. A car with no passengers climbing the ramp to the drop off zone isn’t there to drop anyone off. Someone waiting at the dropoff zone with luggage is waiting for a pickup.

You are joking. It’s probably the easiest metro airport in Australia now to do it. If you want an era when security didn’t dictate that cars can’t loiter for pickups right at the terminal, head back to the 80s.

The airport is designed so that private pickups of arriving passengers are difficult. You’ve pretty well got to park, because there is no pickup area to correspond to the drop-off zone on the departures level.

And yet people try to do it. They take up space in the drop off zone, they hover on corners and in garage entrances. They are a nuisance and a danger.

There are two answers:
1. Pay the few bucks, park, meet the arriving passengers in the arrivals area.
2. Park in one of the free carparks at Majura Park, awaiting a call on your mobile. It takes four minutes to get to either the express green carpark ($3.00 for twenty minutes), or the red outdoor carpark, ten minutes: no charge.

Or you can try something else and risk getting fined by the cops on one of their blitzes. It’s easy to spot someone doing the wrong thing. A car with no passengers climbing the ramp to the drop off zone isn’t there to drop anyone off. Someone waiting at the dropoff zone with luggage is waiting for a pickup.

mcs said :

Why is Uber so expensive in Canberra? According to their online fare estimator they are charging $42.57 from Pearce to Canberra Airport, yet you can go by Uber from Sydney Central Railway to Bondi Beach for $19.95. Is Uber following the lead of petrol companies in jacking up their prices in supposedly wealthy Canberra?

Why are you comparing 2 totally different trips? Pearce to the airport is 15km, compared to the 8km trip to bondi beach.

mcs said :

Why is Uber so expensive in Canberra? According to their online fare estimator they are charging $42.57 from Pearce to Canberra Airport, yet you can go by Uber from Sydney Central Railway to Bondi Beach for $19.95. Is Uber following the lead of petrol companies in jacking up their prices in supposedly wealthy Canberra?

Don’t know why that is the case. Does that have a surge component?

The regular trip that I take is 25% cheaper (35% if I pay by card) and 2-5 minute wait instead of 20-30 min by taxi.

Why said :

Paul Costigan said :

Grateful to anyone who can explain the story with airport pickups generally. Seems like a multi-million dollar design mistake that the obvious pickup area (on the lower level) is closed off to traffic??

I have also wondered this – especially when trying to pick someone up and being directed to the (very expensive) car park.

Apparently the first 10 minutes in the car park is free… In which case you’re doing extremely well if you can accurately time your 10 minute window for pick up – allowing for flight delays, baggage collection and the walk down to the car park…