Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) has announced plans for the upgrading of the traffic situation in front of the Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix. Approximately 2 years ago AAA consulted several taxi associations and bus operators and discussed different options to see which situation would best suit both parties. The option to close the first lane in front of the terminal building for certain traffic was discussed and also the introduction of paving a modest fee for the use of this first lane by taxi’s and busses. At present a variety of undesirable situations unfold themselves right in front of the terminal building, creating a poor first and last impressions for our visitors. Just to mention a few: taxi’s and other vehicles parked in front of the airport terminal building without a driver in it creating safety and security hazards, traffic jams because there is no enough space for all the vehicles that want to make use of the first traffic lane. Problems with certain taxi drivers that do not adhere to the "first come first go".
On peak days, the situation is chaotic and is considered a safety and security hazard. The service level is also seriously affected and as a consequence users, amongst others being passengers, visitors, and taxi drivers themselves are not happy with the level of service offered in front of the airport and have voiced their discontent. AAA therefore decided that something had to be done to improve the traffic flow in front of the airport and the level of service offered to passengers.
The new traffic lay out that AAA will introduce will lead to a situation where a reduced number of vehicle will be permitted on the first lane in front of the airport. Only taxi’s and busses who have obtained a permission granted by AAA and comply with certain prerequisites will be allowed in this first lane. This will benefit the service level offered, the taxi drivers, the traffic flow and at the same time the safety in front of the airport.
AAA wants to stress that in no way whatsoever; access to the airport will be limited; the secondary lane will remain open for the public including taxis, etc. It also needs to be emphasized that in the new situation several facilities will be made available to taxi drivers, including a waiting lounge with restrooms, vending, machines and screens with digital flight information and a computerized system, assuring "the first come first go" principle AAA has elaborated well though. out plans to achieve this change to the benefit of all concerned
Recently AAA has invited parties for consultations on the proposed concept, to be held in the last week of July. AAA would like to stress that it is open to suggestions. Moreover, that by no means the invitation should be seen as imposing unilateral measures on users. Recent reactions by certain taxi drivers in the press arc highly premature and regrettable
