Bengaluru Airport
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Starting December 8, Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will start levying entry fees for all vehicles staying beyond the designated free usage limit.
According to Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), all vehicles with white boards will get eight minutes of free usage in the designated arrival pickup zone in both Terminals 1 and 2.
Beyond this, cars will be charged Rs 150 for 8-13 minutes and Rs 300 for 13-18 minutes. Any vehicle staying beyond 18 minutes will be towed to the nearest police station, and applicable fines and towing charges will be levied, BIAL added.
Traffic map at T1.
Traffic map at T2.
All commercial vehicles, including yellow-board taxis and electric cabs, will wait for passengers only at the designated parking zones. They will get free parking for the first 10 minutes. Commercial vehicles arriving at Terminal 1 should proceed to the P4 and P3 parking zones, while those serving Terminal 2 are directed to the P2 parking zone.
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 vehicles dropping off passengers at the departure gates.
In recent months, BIAL said, the airport has observed increasing halts by unauthorised cabs, vehicles waiting outside arrival gates and exit ramps or engaging in roadside pick-ups.
According to BIAL, with roughly 1 lakh vehicles traversing the airport's road network, there's "significant" strain on its landside facilities, particularly the kerbside (drop-off and pick-up lanes) in front of the terminals.
"Prolonged waiting by private cars and cabs creates artificial congestion, hindering traffic flow and inconveniencing passengers and drivers. To address this and improve the passenger experience, BIAL is introducing a lane segregation system to enforce discipline, prevent unauthorised parking and reduce dwell times. This will ease kerbside congestion and deter misuse of the pick-up zone in front of the terminals," it stated.
The airport, India's third-largest, serves 1.3 lakh passengers per day on average.
"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," said Hari Marar, MD and CEO, BIAL.
BIAL asked travellers and cab operators to use only designated pickup points and authorised aggregators such as Airport Taxi, Uber, Ola, Quick Ride, OHM electric cabs and WTI cabs. Any deviation, including halting in unauthorised areas, blocking lanes or overstaying beyond the permitted waiting duration, will attract fines, applicable to both cab operators and individuals found in violation.
In May 2024, BIAL had imposed similar fees but suspended them following an outrage from cab drivers, who had called it "daylight robbery". Passengers had feared it would make travelling out of the airport "more expensive."
Under the "stay and overstay" system, private vehicles were allowed free access for the first seven minutes. Drivers paid Rs 150 for 7-14 minutes. Commercial vehicles were charged Rs 150 for the first seven minutes and Rs 300 for 7-14 minutes.
A BIAL spokesperson said that unlike the last time, the free usage limit had been increased (from seven to eight minutes) and "sufficient" time was being given so that users could plan in advance.