KIA introduces a 'premium pickup zone' at Terminal 1 for Rs 275

Bengaluru: Kempegowda International Airport has introduced a 'premium pickup zone', which allows yellow board vehicles to access the Arrivals pick up lane at Terminal 1 at a fee of Rs 275 for a 10-minute slot. Plus, there is a Rs 150 charge for every additional minute.

The new zone was soft-launched on Sunday. If a cab driver spends 15 minutes at this new pick-up zone, which is located on the fifth lane by the arrivals gates, they will be charged Rs 425. The lane is geared towards passengers who prefer kerb-side pickup, rather than walking towards the designated parking zone at P3 and P4, said an airport representative

Any vehicle which stays unattended or uses the premium pickup zone for more than 15 minutes will be towed to the nearest police station at the owner's cost, reads a board set up by the fifth lane, which is located adjacent to Mitti Cafe and Shri Sagar.

On December 26, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) announced a proposal to impose a Rs 275 pick-up charge for corporate taxis, but withdrew it soon after. However, the airport operator quietly rolled out the new lane on December 28.

Despite the widespread backlash received over the new pickup rules, BIAL has stood its ground and shared that the imposition of the new rules would be monitored for 30 days.

The introduction of the new lane has further heightened the criticism from cab drivers. "It's as if they're rubbing it in our face that we can't afford to access these lanes. No passenger will be willing to spend such a high fee. With the new pickup rules in place, our livelihood has already been hit. We don't know if we should stick around to see if there are any changes or just start taking rides within the city," said Raheem, a 51-year-old cab driver.

Several passengers have also taken to social media, calling out the airport authorities for the high fee. An online petition to roll back the new pickup rules at the airport has garnered 1,572 signatures so far.

"It's surprising that one of the most well-known airports in the country is haphazardly bringing in such rules without proper research. The ground reality is that passengers are against it," said Hareesh Amjuri, who started the petition earlier this month.