Bengaluru cab drivers plan protest over airport overstaying fee; eye 15 mins of free pickup time

Bengaluru: Bengaluru International Airport Limited’s decision to reintroduce an overstaying fee at the Kempegowda International Airport's arrival zone has drawn opposition from cab drivers.

From December 8, private vehicles will get eight minutes of free stay. They will be charged Rs 150 for 8 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.

“Ten minutes is not enough. Even last year, when this rule was introduced, we had protested due to the time limit. We believe 15 minutes would be ideal. If they cannot make it 15 minutes, they will have to call back the order. If not, we will protest,” said G Narayanaswamy, president of Karnataka Chalakara Okkoota.

He plans to meet Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday and will write to BIAL authorities condemning the rules.

Drivers fear the fee will worsen the cab shortage.

“Currently, the cab situation at the airport is not great. Many drivers avoid airport trips as they make little profit from it. Such a penalty will drive more away and especially affect those who are not associated with any cab aggregator platforms,” said Sarathi Sabarinath, president of Karnataka Drivers Union.

Cab drivers hope BIAL will roll back the levies, as it did in May 2024 after protests. Passengers believe the fee will reduce chaos at arrival zones, often crowded by private taxis. Some have reported hooliganism, harassment and fraud by drivers.

“Terminal 1 is crowded by cab drivers. They park their cars there and often make it difficult to reach the taxi you have booked. Also, some of these drivers are rude and try to scam unassuming passengers,” said frequent flyer, Aishwarya S.

BIAL CEO clears the air

Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO of BIAL, said the airport would have an overstaying fee, not an access fee.

“When we introduced a similar measure last year, it was misinterpreted. We received backlash and retracted it. Hence, the wording here is important. Access to the airport is always free,” he told DH.

He said the decision has support from the Transport Department and Bengaluru police.