Airport arrivals a cash cow for cabs

Chennai: Chennai airport authorities have always allowed cabs to pick up senior citizens, pregnant women, new-born mothers, and differently-abled individuals from the arrival terminals without additional cost. Cab drivers, however, charge customers making such requests at least 100 more, falsely claiming it to be a fee charged by the parking contractor.Overcharging customers has become rampant after the cab pick-up point was shifted to the multi-level car parking lot, which is about 800m away from the T1 terminal, passengers say. "We were told that the contractor charges an extra 100 to reach the terminal. It is shameful to overcharge passengers accompanied by senior citizens and infants," Karthik Murali, a passenger, posted on X. Elderly people and those with infants who find it difficult to reach the MLCP (located on a different floor) request cabs to pick them from the terminal. Rahul Shukla of Meenambakkam Realty Pvt Ltd, the contractor managing the parking space at Chennai airport, told TOI the agency does not collect additional charges for such pick ups. "We restrict our charges to the prescribed pick-up fees. This is 45 per pick-up. Cab drivers may demand additional charges directly from customers. We have no role in this," he said.Chennai airport pre-paid taxi union representatives said their drivers do not indulge in such practices. "Our personnel at the booking counter inform the contractor's men that a vehicle should reach the terminal to pick up elderly passengers. They also share the registration number and the vehicle will be permitted. Cab aggregators may not have such a facility," said a union member.Airports authority officials said they have received complaints about overcharging. "The parking contractor has been instructed to sensitize the cab drivers not to collect additional charges from passengers," an official said.