A Renfrewshire MSP has challenged First Minister John Swinney over the long-term impact of scrapping the Glasgow Airport Rail Link after a rise in airport drop-off charges.
At First Minister’s Questions this week, Neil Bibby raised concerns following confirmation that the cost of using drop-off facilities at Glasgow Airport has increased from £6 to £7 for up to 15 minutes.
Bibby said the rise was another setback for passengers and linked it to the decision taken in 2009 to cancel plans for a rail connection to the airport. The project was scrapped when John Swinney was serving as finance secretary.
He also said constituents had contacted him to complain about congestion in nearby streets north of Paisley, with drivers attempting to avoid the airport’s drop-off charges.
Speaking in the chamber, Bibby said: “Holidaymakers are now having to pay £7 for a drop-off which could take less than a minute. This is also affecting nearby residents, as several constituents have complained to me about congestion in their streets due to drivers trying to avoid the charges.”
He added that Swinney’s response, which referenced the Borders Railway, showed a lack of priority for the west of Scotland. Bibby said the First Minister had “no solution” to what he described as a problem created by cancelling the airport rail link.
Responding, Swinney said the Scottish Government had faced difficult financial decisions following the financial crash and defended the choice made at the time. He said decisions on drop-off charges at Glasgow Airport were taken by a private company, not the government.
Swinney also pointed to other rail projects delivered by the Scottish Government, including the Borders Railway, the Airdrie to Bathgate line and the Levenmouth Railway, and said the government would continue investing in rail infrastructure.