People's Daily Online, Sydney, December 15 - On December 21, Sydney Airport will open a new Uber pick-up area outside the T3 terminal. This new area was built to provide passengers with a more seamless, safe and convenient waiting experience. The opening of the new Uber Pickup Zone will shorten the walking distance from Terminal 3 to the Uber Pickup Zone and reduce congestion in the existing Ride-Up Zone between T2 and T3. It is expected that the traffic volume in the existing passenger area will be reduced by 35%.
Ken Longkeck, Head of Commercial Transport at Sydney Airport, said ride-sharing services now account for nearly 40 per cent of airport pick-ups, up from just 7 per cent in 2016, so Sydney Airport needs to continually improve their services based on the needs of passengers.
After the opening of the new pick-up area, passengers arriving at T2 will still need to walk to the existing pick-up area or go to the new pick-up area. "In the long term, we hope to have a passenger area outside of the T2 terminal," Longkeck said, "and at the same time, T2 riders who go to the new passenger area to ride an Uber vehicle will have a better experience because congestion in this new area will be reduced by more than a third." ”
Mr Longkeck added that taxis remain one of the most important ways to get to and from Sydney Airport, so there are no changes to the taxi area at the domestic terminal.
Dom Taylor, general manager of Uber Australia, said that Uber's technology can reduce passenger wait times and congestion at airports around the world, so Uber is looking forward to working with Sydney Airport, one of Australia's busiest airports, to provide more innovative transportation solutions to the terminal and provide passengers with an easier and more convenient boarding experience.
How will the new Uber Rider Zone work?
Uber drivers will wait in the waiting area near the domestic terminal to ensure smooth traffic around the terminal and pick up riders in the new boarding area when they receive orders. Riders need to book a ride on the Uber app and wait for their designated driver at the pick-up zone.
Uber's PIN technology, which allows riders to queue up using an app, is currently not available in the Sydney area like Melbourne Airport, and when it's their turn, they can provide an PIN to any available driver without having to wait for a named driver.
An Uber spokesperson said that since the launch of PIN technology in Melbourne, it has reduced wait times for riders by 50 per cent. Commenting on the lack of access to the technology in the Sydney region, she said: "While there is currently no launch in the new Uber Pick-up Zones in NSW and Sydney airports, we believe it can go a long way towards meeting the growing demand at Sydney Airport. ”
What are the changes to the other vehicle pick-up areas?
As of December 18, passengers travelling in limousines and private rental cars will need to walk approximately 80 metres east along Shiers**e to wait for their designated driver. The airport said the new pick-up location, which is about a one-minute walk from the existing location, will have five parking spaces and four more parking spaces in the Uber pick-up zone.
If a rider is traveling in a non-Uber vehicle, they can continue to use the Uber pickup zone located between T2 and T3. In addition, all vehicles carrying passengers with reduced mobility will have access to the four accessible pick-up and drop-off zones in the domestic terminal. (Xi student Chen Jia).