No app cabs in sight, taxis do a fleecing job at airport

VIJAYAWADA: With no access to the favoured app cabs like Ola and Uber, commuters landing at

Vijayawada

airport are in for a rude shock. One has to walk almost a kilometre till the entrance of the

airport

to board a cab. The other option is to take the licensed

taxi

service at the airport, which charges exorbitant prices.

Interestingly, app-based cab services are allowed to drop the passengers at the airport terminal.

Passengers explain that local taxis are cashing in on the situation and simply fleecing people, charging almost double the fare that an app-hailed cab would charge. “When I booked my cab at the airport, the driver informed me that I would have to walk till the airport entrance to board the vehicle. One taxi operator offered to drop me at the entrance for Rs 100. The entrance is only around a kilometre away. However, it is really difficult to walk that distance if you have heavy luggage,” said a businessman Maringanti Vidya Rao.

While the minimum charge is Rs 100, rates go up to Rs 1,000 to reach Vijayawada city.

“We can’t take airport trolleys beyond the terminal and car parking premises. People with more luggage, therefore, are forced to shell out more if they want to reach their destinations,” said Hyderabad-based techie S Rajiv Reddy.

Airport authorities justified the denial of entry to Ola or Uber since these apps refused to pay the licence fee to the Airport Authority of India (AAI). Speaking to TOI, Vijayawada airport director G Madhusudan Rao explained that the aggregators did not participate in the bidding to get the licence to operate in Vijayawada. “A private travel company has paid the licence fee and its taxis are operating in the airport premises. However, app-hailed cab companies have not paid the nominal fee to the Airport Authority of India (AAI). Previously, Ola did pay the fee and conduct its services at the airport for around three months but did not wish to pay the licence fee after the term was complete,” Rao said.

Cab drivers who operate under Ola or Uber have been losing a lot of business for this. Most passengers are quick to cancel the ride after realising that the pick-up point is away from the terminal.

When contacted, Ola or Uber representatives were not available for a comment.