Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 17: Vehicle owners visiting the Biju Patnaik international airport (BPIA) have been affected badly due to a 40 per cent hike in parking fee introduced by the airport authorities.
Sumit Saha, a passenger, said he had to cough up Rs 50 towards parking fee, when he went to the airport to drop a relative.
“Even if you park your vehicle for less than five minutes, when you come to pick up or drop someone, the officials do not spare you from paying the fees. The hike in parking fee was effected recently. It is exorbitant,’’ he added.
Many passengers expressed annoyance over upward revision of the parking fee, in view of poor facilities offered at BPIA, a B category airport.
The 40 per cent rise in parking fee has been enforced on the recommendations of the Airport Authorities of India (AAI).
The rates have been revised for different kinds of vehicles. Truck and lorry operators have to pay a parking fee of Rs 70, autorickshaws and travellers’ buses Rs 60, cars Rs 50 and two-wheelers Rs15.
When contacted, AAI officials said the decision to revise parking fees was taken by AAI headquarters in New Delhi. The fee structure was put into operation with effect from December 2014, across all B category airports in India, the officials added.
However, the new parking fee structure came into effect April 13, 2015, after AAI scrapped the deal with a former contractor on the basis of several passengers’ complaints about irregularities.
At present, the airport officials have hired some temporary staff to manage the parking area.
A new contractor will, however, be appointed next month, the officials said, adding tenders have been floated for this
purpose.