June 1: Airport Parking Will Not Accept EasyPark
[Updated] The Department of Airport Operations [DAO] advised the public that effective 1st June, the EasyPark devices will no longer be accepted for parking at L.F. Wade International Airport in both the long and short term car parks.
“The Pay and Display machines at the Airport remain available and coins, credit cards and debit cards will continue to be accepted. Please be reminded that the charge for long-term parking is $5.00 per day or any part thereof and $1.00 per hour or any part thereof for a maximum of 2 hours for short term parking,” a spokesperson said.
Update 6.45pm: In an effort to expand on the reasons for discontinuing the acceptance of Easy Park devices at the airport car parks, Airport General Manager, Aaron Adderley cited operational and financial challenges that led to the decision.
Mr Adderley said, “Prior to the introduction of Easy Park, the Airport was able to realize 100 percent of the parking fee revenue. By enabling the use of the Easy Park service at the short-term and long-term car parks, we had to relinquish a portion of those revenues – something which is very difficult to do when we’re challenged with minimising costs and maximising revenues in a depressed economic environment.”
“There were also some operational challenges involved with using the device at the Airport. It was designed for short term usage. When passengers were attempting to use the device in the long term parking lot when travelling for days at a time, there were some instances when the battery would run out and of course, tickets were being issued causing discrepancies which would later have to be addressed.
Despite having to discontinue the use of Easy Park at the Airport, Mr. Adderley expressed a desire to continue working with the company.
“Easy Park is aware of our challenges and is working on introducing a solution that will satisfy all of our objectives,” said Mr. Adderley.
“Our customers have shared with us their desire to see the Easy Park devices remain at the Airport. They have grown accustomed to utilising the service and it has become increasingly convenient for them. So we want to be in a position to reintroduce the service to satisfy those challenges and most importantly, to quickly satisfy our customers,” he added.
Norris Ebbin, Director of EasyPark stated, “Firstly, we would like to thank our loyal customers for their support since our inception. We are aware of the issue regarding battery failure when using EasyPark meters for long term parking, albeit occasional. Note, we recommend our customers to only use the EasyPark meter for long term parking when the battery is new or for short trips.
“We recognise our value proposition and also the need for Airport Operations to meet its objectives. We appreciate and look forward to a continued relationship going forward in order to assist them in meeting their objectives.”
Damn them!
I tried to park there the other week but I didn’t have sufficient credit on my Easypark. No worries, I’ll buy a ticket, I thought.
Not one of the Pay and Display machines would accept my credit/debit cards (I tried 4 different cards, all of which I knew were otherwise working fine).
I had to abandon the car. Luckily I had a friend come by with the spare key and recover it for me before some jobsworth was able to clamp or ticket it.
Absolutely ridiculous. Easypark is a great idea – why take a backward step?
People were getting tickets in the long term car parking, as the battery on their device would die before they got back to bermuda!
I’ve had the same experience in the evening picking up people at the airport. Tried to pay for parking, but no working machines. Luckily I was able to use the EasyPark devise to avoid a ticket. I’ve had similar experiences in the long term parking area where the machines would not work or were jammed. So what then?
Why not at least allow Easypark for short term parking?
Sounds like maybe somebody isn’t paying up when they should be……..
Did they give a reason why?
This is completely unacceptable on any level, can someone in the OAB please intervene here? No one has the time to get change again for a 3 – 7 day trip and ferret around with trying to find a machine that works.
Sort it out OBA, just like you did with all the other things you promised.
You are asking for help from the OBA…JUST THINK FOR A MINUTE!!. They are the current government; who do you think made that decision. Asking them for help is like asking an alcoholic to be your AA sponsor….makes absolutely no sense!
This is outrageous!! A small car park near the airport suddenly wont accept a minor payment method – WHAT!! How will we function, we might need to take 5 quarters, it’s all too muchhhhhh……..
In other news. I farted.
Can’t wait til you have to leave and try to find a meter in the long term parking area that is working properly. For long term parking, you will need a lot more than 5 quarters.
typical – let’s change something that is working really well back to something which doesn’t work. They will make less money off their machines which are always out of order!
But they make LOTS of money off those clamps.
The last few times I’ve left my car in long term parking, two of the machines weren’t even working!
Jokers…
And no explanation as to why? No excuse?
Frankly, it’s inexcusable. The Airport Authority is and long has been incompetent, and this is yet another example. That place is amateur hour from the car park to the runway.
exactly. people park ANYWHERE too. people park in loading zones nobody there to move people along. the inside of the airport is totally disorganized. where else in the world do you check in and then have to carry your own bags to the belt? disgraceful. poor signage too. not to mention the 1st class lounge for flights to the USA is abysmal! Not even a glass of water available. and it’s filthy. NOW, they go and do this. They take away the ONE thing that actually WAS working! Get a grip people!
Obviously you haven’t travelled 1st Class lately… the lounge has been CLOSED for some time now. Supposedly they are renovating it and then will CHARGE A FEE for use… this, after people already pay for a 1st Class ticket. Absolutely ridiculous. #onlyinbermuda
a FEE??? who dreams this stuff up? You’re right. I have not traveled 1st in 5 years. My exempt company job left 2 years ago and I haven’t been away since then. Any money I have saved is going to live. Mostly health insurance at $1.300/month and blody BELCO!
This makes no sense…..those airport machines NEVER work. Absolutely a crazy idea.
Get with it Department of Airport Operations. Obviously your large and underworked staff are not as stressed as the rest of us and may think we have time to fiddle around with coins. Easy-Park is a unique idea , well accepted by the community and trying to move Bermuda forward into this century.
The machines have long been a nightmare. Now the public would like to know why the DAO has decreed that
Easy-Park can no longer be accepted.
what im about to go away 24 of May and i will be back june 7th and i went and put money on my easy pay ahead of time for my trip wth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i am in agreement… the machines never work. dummies. always beauty before brains. where do they hire these clowns that have no brains lol
that is completely insane. maybe they could think about fixing the radar so planes can take off on time and leave the parking system, WHICH WORKS, alone…..
what a STUPID decision.
Exactly!
I agree with you on fixing the radar as last month we had to wait at the tip of the runway for almost an hour for an Air Traffic Controller in New York to clear us to fly to Atlanta…simply mind boggling…
I have heard that the reason for the long term car parking is that the govt were getting a lot of complaints, ppl were going on holiday for two or three weeks, pay and display their easy park device, come back from holiday to find their car covered in parking tickets, and then realised the reason was that the battery on their easy park device had died after a week or so, from being constantly turned on 24/7,
Short term car parking, I have no bloody idea, makes no sense!
This is the easiest fix I can imagine. If a car has the easy park in the window, let the parking attendant mark the window or tire with a code that indicates the setting, so cars won’t be improperly ticketed. Only a brain-dead DAO person couldn’t think of that.
Typical. One step forward, two steps back.
How does the parking attendant know how much money is on somebody’s device? And how long the person is going to be away for?
Stupid, stupid, stupid, so are we talking about a few people who’s batteries died, wow….big problem….cancel the whole programme….
so can we get an app for that?
and yes, those machines are offline all the time. pain in the a$$.
I agree with you in regards to the short term car park, its just silly! But I can’t see any alternative for the long term car park besides pay and display, if the batteries won’t last long enough on the device then no point in using them for long term car parking!
At least update the airport website and allow us to pay in advance by credit card and print a voucher to put in the car window….would solve the issue of the battery’s on the EasyPark and would eliminate any panicking at the airport when the machines fail to work (which they will). Assuming there is always a space in the car park when you get there of course.
Great idea……..
Agreed!
Maybe it’s possible to use easypark for short term only, just askin.
The parking meters at the airport are working about as much as the escalator to the US departure area.
Put a booth around the parking machine, put a DAO employee in the booth with the parking machine. That way if the parking machine stops working you can blow your horn, wake the DAO employee up and he/she can issue a ticket to put on your dashboard.
Problem solved
Wouldn’t airport coffers prefer a reliable revenue stream from a proven technology solution relied on by thousands of users over a historically unreliable system riddled with inconsistencies, outages and failure?
Only in Bermuda
What’s all the fuss about.
If you going away on an extended vacation, leave your car home and catch a taxi.
Solution solved
As for the battery, its not rocket science, would you leave the radio on in your car for two weeks, and expect the battery to start the car.
You people act like some of this stuff is rocket science.
Maybe EasyPark should ask the Energizer Bunny to develop a battery that would keep going n going n going
Given that they’re displayed in windows and only ever really during daylight hours, it’s curious that they didn’t make them solar powered.
I had to wait for the final comment before reading something that made sense. I agree, the meters at the airport should be in working order, but why would anyone leave their car at the airport for two weeks. Help out the taxi industry. Would it not be cheaper?
Remember Fabian’s visit when people found their cars damaged. Is there security at the long term car park. What about vandalism.
Mr. Adderley can you please reconsider Easy Park for short term parking?
I think you are doing a good job, Mr. Adderley!
good point re: Taxi if you are travelling for extended period….if the taxi actually turns up. I have had too many experiences to mention where I have pre-ordered a taxi for an early airport run – with specific pick up time- only for the taxi (1) not to arrive and (2) when I call, to be told “we haven’t been able to get a cab for you”
My last trip I couldn’t wait any longer – hopped in my car and parked in long term. When I was already checked in and in departure lounge, my cellphone rang — was taxi driver saying “Hello. I am outside of your house”…it was only an hour later than I had ordered, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.