No parking hassles...

PATNA: Frequent flyers in Patna are well versed with the harassment they have had to face with the parking attendants at the airport in the past. Passengers would not be given a ticket and rather overcharged. The behaviour of the attendants, too, was improper as they would use abusive language and menacingly hold onto a car window while waiting for their money.
But now the parking lot outside the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport here looks different.Parking attendants are clad in dark blue uniform and facilities, too, have been streamlined. The words "parking lot��� are embossed in white on the back of the parking attendants' blue shirts. A woman passenger had once complained of being harassed by an attendant who was merely clad in a vest and a pair of trousers. She said, "He was being very rude and when I told him that I will complain, he promptly climbed on my car's bonnet and sat there. Finally, he went away after I complained to an officer of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployed there.���
This passenger is relieved with the new look of the parking lot. "Now whenever I park my vehicle, there is an attendant in uniform with his identity card hanging around his neck. I always get a ticket and am able to move away after paying the exact fee,��� she said.
Patna airport director Atul Dikshit said, "We had received a few complaints from passengers about the parking lot facilities. Although it has been outsourced, the contractor has now provided a set of uniforms and identity card to each attendant.��� Dikshit said, "This move will prevent any unauthorised person from collecting parking fee. Besides, the identity card will give the passenger an opportunity to identify the attendant and lodge a complaint, if needed.���
Meanwhile, the CISF security check at the very entry of the airport complex has prevented unauthorised persons from simply entering into the complex. A food joint has also been opened near the parking lot which has proved to be very useful. With flights being majorly delayed, families and individuals waiting to receive their passengers are seen sipping hot beverages from this joint.
Dikshit said soon an electronic barrier would also be installed in the parking lot which would prevent vehicles from moving out without paying the fee. The barrier would be fixed at the exit. Only after a vehicle has paid the fee, the attendant would punch a button to press a lever to activate the barrier. Another passenger said, "The parking lot has definitely improved. But the main approach outside the airport building needs to be decongested. Everybody parks his car on this road, thus jamming it. Like other airports in the country, no car should be allowed to remain parked on this approach road. Cars should at best pick up their passengers or drop them quickly and move on.���