PERTH Airport will use new technology to charge drivers at least $6 if they stay longer than five minutes at the T2 terminal drop-off and pick-up zones.

Drivers who stay 20 minutes will be charged $18.

Perth Airport says the crackdown is needed to ease vehicle gridlock at the front of the terminal.

Vehicle-tracking will be used from October to detect offending drivers.

Camera Icon Some drivers are ignoring time restrictions in drop-off and pick-up zones.

A problem has been caused by people using the pick-up and drop-off zones as a short-term carpark while waiting for disembarking passengers.

It has a knock-on effect, causing vehicles to queue along the terminal access road and on to Airport Drive and Horrie Miller Drive.

Perth Airport chief executive Kevin Brown said to fix the problem the airport would introduce an express pick-up and drop-off system at T2. Cars will be tracked and the driver has five minutes to drop off or pick up with no charge.

Drivers overstaying the limit will be charged $6 for the next five minutes.

“We get constant complaints from the public about the congestion being caused at T2 by motorists who just ignore the time limits,” Mr Brown said.

“Some motorists arrive early or right on the flight arrival time and then want to wait in the pick-up area until their passenger exits the terminal.

Camera Icon Traffic banks up outside the Perth Airport international terminal.

“As a no-cost alternative, we are urging those motorists to head straight to any of our long-term carparks where we already provide one hour of free parking.”

Passengers then just need to call when they are out of baggage collection to be picked up.

The airport’s traffic modelling shows that at least one-third of drivers are overstaying the permitted times, which leads to significant delays for passengers being picked up or dropped off from T2 and also restricts access to T1, the international terminal.

“The system will automatically track individual vehicle movements so that if a vehicle is in and out within five minutes, there will be no charge,” Mr Brown said. “If a vehicle stays longer than the five minutes ... a fee will be charged as it leaves the forecourt.”

The system has been successful at airport forecourts around the world.