MELBOURNE Airport is introducing limited free parking near the terminal for people picking up passengers from today.

The airport has set aside 64 bays in the long-term car park, near the exit booth, to allow drivers to wait up to 20 minutes, free of charge, under a scheme it is calling ''Ring and Ride''.

The idea is to enable people to park in a safe spot and await the pick-up call from the arriving passenger, then drive by the arrivals forecourt. Credit:Paul Rovere

The idea is to enable people to park in a safe spot and await the pick-up call from the arriving passenger, then drive by the arrivals forecourt. The first 20 minutes are free, and if a passenger is delayed, the next 20 minutes cost $2, or $4 for up to an hour. Thereafter, normal long-term parking rates apply.

''Now drivers can use the waiting zone until their passenger calls to say they are ready to be picked up from the front of the building,'' said the airport's chief executive, Chris Woodruff. The move has been introduced in response to customer feedback, and concerns about people parking by the side of the Tullamarine Freeway and other roads, he said.