SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, Jan 8: Private taxis at the Birsa Munda Airport premises in Ranchi have become a major issue for the airport authorities. Fights over passengers have become a common affair at the airport. Several such recent events have also prompted customers to file complaints in this regard. As a result of this, passengers have begun opting for Ola and Uber cabs for transportation.
Talking in this regard, K L Agarwal, Director, Birsa Munda Airport had earlier said, “There have been complaints about the private taxis which are kept in the ‘parking lot’ of the airport.”
While talking to a Lagatar correspondent, he said, “We take action against those that create a fuss by complaining to the local authorities as this does not concern the airport authority.”
When asked about the complaints, the official said that local officers present at the airport are asked for help to manage situations every time such fights occur.
Well-placed sources at the airport had earlier claimed that the airport authority was also thinking of removing the private taxis from the premises, however, the director has denied these claims and said, “We don’t have any such plans at the moment. We only want taxi owners and drivers not to fight for customers in front of them.”
A similar such incident had come to light last month when two taxi drivers began fighting and even came to blows with each other for customers.
One such customer Ajit Singh, who has witnessed drivers fighting said, “Usually booking a taxi from the airport is easier for me when going to Jamshedpur from the airport itself. These taxis are booked from the airport, which makes us feel safe in a way.”
“However, there was an incident when they began fighting each other for a customer. It was not only off-putting but also delayed the customer. Soon the fight was broken by the officials at the airport,” he added.
Meanwhile, over 100 private taxi drivers from Hetu, Hundu, Hinoo and Doranda come to the airport for customers. Often there have been incidents of them pestering passengers for rides. Many of them don’t even have required permits for businesses.
Along with this, the private taxi drivers at the airport premises have to pay charges for parking. They often hackle customers for a ride, due to which travellers nowadays have begun using services like Ola and Uber instead.
Another reason for booking Ola and Uber is the price for a ride. Private taxis often charge way more than the set rates, making Ola and other such services cheaper comparatively. Uber has even opened a counter at the airport recently.
Notably, Uber has signed an MoU for this with the airport authorities, wherein even the charges are fixed as per the distance.
