Cab drivers staging a protest on Tuesday .
Credit: Karnataka Chalakara Okkuta
Bengaluru: Karnataka taxi driver unions staged a protest against the newly enforced pick-up restrictions for cab drivers at the Kempegowda International Airport, near the Sadahalli toll plaza on Tuesday morning.
About 400 cab drivers, from across various unions — including Karnataka Chalakara Okkuta, Peace Auto Union, and Bruhat Bengaluru Auto and Taxi Drivers Union, blocked the toll plaza at 9 am on Tuesday, demanding that Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) call back the headlined pick-up rules. The protest led to traffic congestion near the toll plaza.
As per the rules, private vehicles will get eight minutes of free stay. They will be charged Rs 150 for eight to 13 minutes and Rs 300 for 13 to 18 minutes. Vehicles staying beyond 18 minutes will be towed to the nearest police station, with fines added. Commercial vehicles must wait at designated parking zones, where they will get 10 minutes of complimentary parking. After that, cab drivers will have to pay Rs 100 for a half-an-hour slot, and Rs 50 for every additional hour.
“These rules have been brought in without consulting us. The rules don’t make sense because the 10 minute wait time isn’t enough and the airport authorities are aware of this. They have to either increase the wait time or call back the rules,” said G Narayanaswamy, president of the Karnataka Chalakara Okkuta, who had called for a protest, the day the BIAL announced the new rules.
“We’ve had a conversation with the Joint Commissioner of Police (East), Ramesh Banoth, and we’ve been told that they’ll try to resolve the matter in four days. If that isn’t done, we will stage a protest at Terminal 1 next,” he told DH.
The drivers union has also garnered the support of Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who has written to the BIAL to call back the new fees.