Taxi drivers will begin passing a £1 drop-off charge at Aberdeen International Airport onto passengers from next month.
The city council’s licensing committee agreed in March that drivers of non-airport cabs should not have to pay the surcharge out of their own pockets, as has been the case since it was introduced in January.
At a meeting next week, members will be asked to formally approve the switch to take effect from June 17, provided there is no appeal lodged against the decision.
The delay from the unanimous committee ruling in March was to allow for the proposal to be advertised and offer people the chance to make representations. None have been received to date, however.
A report to the committee said: “Members will recall that they proposed a new surcharge to reflect the fee of £1 introduced by Aberdeen Airport to drop off passengers at the inner airport forecourt.
“This is a new cost which at present drivers are unable to pass on to customers. Adding a surcharge to the fare card will enable them to do so.”
At the meeting in March, a recommendation to keep normal taxi fares at their current level was also agreed by councillors.
Officers at the local authority have been tasked with meeting trade representatives to explore the “restructure” of tariffs in future.
Committee convener Scott Carle said that councillors wanted to do their bit by “supporting” the taxi trade.
He said: “The trade made their case, if you can imagine a driver might have a number of fares going to the airport, and days add up to weeks, it is quite a lot of money.”
Mr Carle, a Labour councillor, also said that passengers could opt out of paying the fee by asking to be dropped off at the long-stay car park, where a free shuttle bus would be available to take them to the main terminal.
Aberdeen International Airport said the charge was introduced because the forecourt had reached its capacity, prompting safety concerns.
Chief executive Carol Benzie, speaking at the time of the launch of the fee, said the charge was introduced “before someone got hurt”.
She also said that 10% of the income will go into projects for the benefit of the “wider community”.