Airport access fee may push up cab fares

T’puram: Cab fares from the city airport may increase as the airport began charging an access fee for commercial vehicles or cabs picking up passengers from the arrival terminal.Under the revised tariff, cabs are charged Rs 180 for entering the arrival terminal pick-up zone for eight minutes. The charge increases to Rs 200 for up to 30 minutes if the vehicle stays beyond eight minutes.There is concern that cab operators may pass on the additional cost to passengers hiring taxis from the airport.Commercial vehicles dropping passengers at the departure terminal will be charged Rs 50 for up to eight minutes and Rs 200 for up to 30 minutes.Private vehicles, however, will not be charged for stays of up to eight minutes. They will be charged Rs 150 under the next 30-minute slab if they exceed the time limit.Entry and exit at the airport are smoother than at airports in major cities, allowing cabs to leave within eight minutes.Still, the Rs 180 charge would impose an additional burden on commercial vehicle operators, who may have to spend a significant portion of their earnings—nearly 50% of the fare from a trip in some cases—on the airport fee.M K Ajit Kumar, a frequent traveller, said that the access fee charged is not a huge amount for someone who takes a flight. “The cab operator may transfer it to the passenger. But it is not too high. But the airport should also ensure security of passengers by ensuring that the vehicles that come to pick up are safe for the people.”An airport official said that the charges have been increased as part of efforts to reduce congestion at the terminal and improve non-aeronautical revenue. Similar access rates have been in vogue at airports like Ahmedabad for a long time, he added.Stay updated with the latest Thiruvananthapuram news. Download the TOI App.