DistantNews
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

MM2 defends parking tariff hike

From The Punch · (1d ago) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited defends its 150% increase in parking tariffs at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MM2).
  • The company claims the hike is an operational necessity to combat congestion and discourage long-term vehicle abandonment.
  • MM2 management stated that the car park was intended for short-term use and that misuse by non-airport users was undermining efficiency and security.

The management of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MM2), operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, has moved to justify the recent 150% surge in parking tariffs, asserting that the decision was driven by operational imperatives rather than a desire for increased profit.

The recent review of the parking tariff at the multi-storey car park was implemented strictly as an operational measure to address severe congestion, discourage long-term vehicle abandonment, and restore parking availability for legitimate airport users

— MM2 ManagementExplaining the rationale behind the increased parking tariffs.

In a statement released on Monday, MM2 management explained that the upward review of parking fees was a direct response to persistent congestion within the terminal's multi-storey car park. The company highlighted that the facility has increasingly been subjected to abuse by individuals using it for long-term vehicle storage, effectively turning it into a parking lot for non-airport users, with some vehicles abandoned for months or even years.

"The recent review of the parking tariff at the multi-storey car park was implemented strictly as an operational measure to address severe congestion, discourage long-term vehicle abandonment, and restore parking availability for legitimate airport users," the statement read. MM2 emphasized its commitment to maintaining high safety and security standards, which are complicated by the growing number of unattended vehicles.

The cost and complexity of maintaining this level of surveillance, safety oversight, and operational control for vehicles left for lengthy periods cannot be sustained. This practice significantly reduces parking availability for passengers and other legitimate terminal users.

— MM2 ManagementHighlighting the operational challenges posed by abandoned vehicles.

The operator stressed that the car park was originally designed for short-term parking to support passenger drop-off and pick-up, not as a long-term storage facility. The continued misuse, they argue, significantly reduces parking availability for genuine passengers and airport users, exacerbates traffic congestion around drop-off and pick-up zones, and undermines overall operational efficiency and security within the terminal environment.

The car park was designed primarily to support short-term parking for passenger drop-off and pick-up, and not as a long-term storage facility for vehicles.

— MM2 ManagementReiterating the intended purpose of the multi-storey car park.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog