BENGALURU: From December 8, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), operator of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), will start charging pick-up vehicles that stay at the designated pick-up zone at both Terminal 1 and 2 for more than eight minutes, to discourage them from congesting the airport area.
“The airport will give eight minutes (much higher than international standards) of free use of the zone for all users beyond which Rs 150 will charged for overstay from 8-13 minutes and Rs 300 for 13-18 minutes,” according to a statement from BIAL. It also stated that vehicles that overstay beyond the 18-minute mark will be towed to the nearest police station and applicable fines and towing charges will be imposed.
A similar initiative, with a limit set at five minutes, was implemented without any official notice earlier this year. But it had to be rolled back due to opposition from taxi driver associations, a source from BIAL said.
According to airport authorities, on an average, KIA logs 1,30,000 passengers and roughly 1,00,000 vehicles every day. The resultant strain is most felt at the kerb-side drop-off and pick-up zones. The move was necessitated with the airport saying that “increasing instances of halts by unauthorised cabs, vehicles waiting outside arrival gates and exit ramps, or engaging in roadside pick-ups.”
“Prolonged waiting by private cars and cabs creates artificial congestion, hindering traffic flow and inconveniencing passengers and drivers. As per the new lane segregation system, entry to the designated arrival pick-up zone in T1 and T2 will be free for all private cars (white board). However, there will be a charge for misusing or overstaying inside the zone beyond the prescribed time limits,” read the statement.
As far as commercial vehicles such as taxis are concerned, they will have to wait for passengers only at the designated parking zones, and the first 10 minutes of parking will be complimentary. Commercial vehicles arriving at T1 should proceed to the P4 and P3 parking zones, while those serving T2 should head to the P2 parking zone.
BIAL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Hari Marar said, “With passenger traffic continuing to rise, especially during the travel season, it becomes essential to maintain discipline at pick-up zones, not as enforcement, but as a way to protect travellers, ensure orderly movement and strengthen trust in the system.”