Cabbies seethe as Bengaluru airport imposes entry fee for arrival pickups

Cabs not attached to ride-hailing firms must pay Rs 150 for up to 7 mins, Rs 300 for 7-14 mins.

Bengaluru: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) on Monday began collecting fees for private and commercial vehicles entering the arrival areas of Kempegowda International Airport.

The decision has angered cab drivers and passengers. Cab drivers called it "daylight robbery" while passengers feared it would make traveling out of the airport "more expensive."

The airport operator has implemented a pay-and-use system for vehicles at the arrival zones to ensure what it called a smooth flow of traffic.

Under the new "stay and overstay" tariff for vehicles entering the arrival pickup lanes at Terminals 1 and 2, private vehicles are allowed free access for the first seven minutes. Drivers will need to pay Rs 150 for staying beyond seven minutes and up to 14 minutes.

The entry fees for commercial vehicles for the first seven minutes and the 7-14 minute period are Rs 150 and Rs 300, respectively. BIAL has also announced entry fees for buses (Rs 600) and Tempo Travellers (Rs 300). Rs 600 will be charged for the loss of a ticket.

A notice board specifies the entry fees for private vehicles and cabs at the arrival zone of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Monday.

A BIAL source said, "The introduction of the pay-and-use zone at the airport arrival zones will facilitate traffic flow while enhanced security measures will prevent issues like haphazard parking and unattended vehicles in Terminal 1 & 2 arrival zones."

"Many drivers have been found spending a lot of time in the arrival areas before picking up passengers. The new fees do not apply to ride-hailing services since they operate in dedicated lanes," the spokesperson told DH. "This is a standard practice at many airports. We are introducing it for the first time."

All white-board vehicles are classified as private vehicles, and all yellow-board, EV commercial vehicles and self-drive yellow-board vehicles are classified as commercial vehicles.

The fees will not apply to cabs and private vehicles dropping off passengers at the departure gates. They will also not cover cabs operating from dedicated zones provided to ride-hailing firms like Ola, Uber and Rapido, as well as other operators including Meru Cabs, MegaCabs and KSTDC airport taxis. These operators pay separate charges to BIAL as part of their respective contract.

The fees will not apply to cabs and private vehicles dropping off passengers at the departure gates.

Tanveer Pasha, of the Ola and Uber Drivers' and Owners' Association, said the entry fees would hit cab drivers picking up passengers on personal reference. "If I am going all the way to the airport to pick up a passenger, I wouldn't wait. Why should I pay for entering the airport premises?" he asked, calling the entry fee "daylight robbery."

Pasha estimates that 800-1,000 cabs that are not attached to ride-hailing firms pick up passengers daily.

While airport authorities suggest private vehicles or "reference" cabs use the paid parking area, Pasha believes it's "impractical" because the pickups are usually quick and do not take more than a few minutes.

A viral video shows a cab driver getting into a fierce argument with staff at the arrival pickup lane.

"Private vehicles needn't pay anything for up to seven minutes. Why should cabs pay then?" the driver asks. "We already pay toll charges to travel to the airport."

Rajesh Dugla, a frequent flyer who is usually dropped off at the airport by a known driver, said he was "seething with anger with this money-making business of the airport."

"Look at the pickup points at the airport. They are so narrow. You have to wait for long for your driver/cab to pick you up. Even after entering the airport, it will take no less than 30 minutes to reach the pickup points," he said.

Cab drivers plan to meet BIAL representatives on Tuesday to request a rollback of the fees. "If we don't get a response, we will petition the chief minister," Pasha said.

They have also planned a protest march from Galamma Circle to the arrival pickup point on May 22.