Birmingham Airport is removing barriers from its Premium Set Down and drop-off zones. The new system uses cameras to log vehicle number plates, with payment made afterwards. Airport bosses say it’ll ease congestion, improve air quality, and modernise the drop-off experience.
00:00There's nothing more British than a traffic jam at the airport, but Birmingham's trying to change that by binning the barriers altogether.
00:11The new system promises a faster, smoother drop-off experience, but behind the buzzwords like streamlined flow and congestion relief is a more quiet shift towards more automation, less friction and, let's be honest, more chances to catch people out if they don't pay up.
00:28Still, if it works, it could mean cleaner air and fewer queues.
00:33Yeah, absolutely. Well, the main change is you can see that on the entry, there are no barriers. On the exit, there are no barriers.
00:38We've introduced two new payment mechanisms alongside the existing kiosks that we have here.
00:44So passengers nowadays now, we're using the automatic number plate recognition, can come into the car park and have more options to pay and have more easy access to exit the car park.
00:56We've all had that moment, scrabbling for change at the machine, arm hanging out the window, queue piling up behind you.
01:02With this new setup, the idea is that you won't need to stop at all.
01:06Cameras log your number plate and the clock starts ticking. You then pay after you've left.
01:12Sounds simple enough, but for a lot of people, it could be another thing to get caught out by.
01:17If any customer is unsure of the new process, we have our colleagues with NCP who are within the car park with the customer service cabin behind.
01:27By all means, they can go in and talk to the NCP colleagues to get advice.
01:30We can also go online to our Birmingham Airport website. There's more information on there.
01:34But there's actually no changes to blue badge holders that use the car park.
01:39They can still redeem their 30 minutes free access into the car park and the NCP colleagues will be here to assist them to do that.
01:45The airport says it's about efficiency, reducing queues, cutting emissions and making the drop off smoother for everyone.
01:53They also say it will help them reach their 2033 net zero target.
01:58It's part of a wider shift towards digital first travel, where fewer barriers don't just mean in the road, but in the whole customer journey.
02:08Well, the clear change is that on the on the old system, we had cars that were queuing to pay on exit.
02:14And of course, that builds emissions within the car park, the noise of the vehicles, et cetera, for local residents.
02:19And because there's no actually queuing, it's a free flow exit. The emissions will reduce.
02:23We've had some positive reception because, you know, certainly regular users that can use the auto pay, they make them in six or seven times a day.
02:30No longer do they need to get out of their car. If they wish they can, they can still go to the traditional kiosks.
02:35But if they set up an auto pay account, they can come in, you know, easier than ever before, rather than getting out of the car to pay.
02:43So it's you know, we've had some really good positive feedback from it.
02:46Anybody that wants more detail, go onto our website. There's three options to pay existing kiosks, set up an auto pay account or pay within 24 hours of exiting the car park.
