A NEW time-based automated car parking system was implemented yesterday at the Norman Manley International Airport, east Kingston.
The new system requires motorists using the airport's parking lots to pay a minimum of $50 for up to one hour and $100 for up to two hours. Motorists spending between two and 24 hours will have to pay $150. An extra $150 will be charged for each additional 24-hour period or part of that period. Previously, customers were charged a flat fee of $40, regardless of the period of time spent in the parking lot.
Earl Richards, president of the Airports Authority of Jamaica, said the new automated parking system was put in at a cost of approximately $4 million.
He said that the previous fees "were embarrassingly low", pointing out that parking areas are major revenue earners for many airports throughout the world. He said that vehicles were sometimes parked for more than one day in the parking lot.
When The Gleaner visited the airport yesterday, Everard Owen, a regular user of the parking lot, said he was impressed with the new system. "I think it is a good system and we should allow it to work," he said. He added that the new parking system was similar to ones used by airports internationally and was a step in the right direction.
