Airport passengers face a new challenge; Cabbies demand toll tax outside fare
- Toll tax, ideally, should not be paid by passengers going to the airport. However, cabbies still demand that they pay the toll tax.
- Unaware passengers are duped into paying the toll tax as they are asked to pay up at the nick of the moment.
- Cabbies argue that they are not allowed to park at the airport and therefore have to come back to the city without passengers.
FollowWhile taxi service providers in the city maintain that customers do not have to pay for the toll taxes on their way to the airport nor do they have to pay it outside the fare, there have been complains that drivers have still been charging the passengers for the toll fee. Incidentally, multiple complaints to the taxi service providers have not been of any help.
Usually, passengers on their way to the KIA are usually not aware of the fact that drivers would demand the toll. They are usually informed about the toll when they are about to board the car or when the driver insist at the toll gate that they pay the tax. This leaves passengers with no other option but to pay up. Drivers, meanwhile, have their own reasons to demand the toll tax. They say that they do not get a parking space at the airport, which renders them passenger-less. Thus, they have to return without a passenger, which becomes a huge loss on their part in addition to the Rs 125 toll that they pay.
One of the drivers justifies,"Though Ola and Uber have a designated place for parking at the airport, it is not sufficient. Many vehicles are not allowed to park during certain hours citing shortage of parking space. This forces drivers to come back to city without a passenger. The driver ends up paying a toll of Rs 125 to return and that is a huge burden. This forces the drivers to demand toll from passengers while ferrying them to the airport."
Another driver complained, "Not getting a booking after reaching the airport forces the drivers to drive around near the airport. They will drive in circles hoping that, by the time they reach the dropping point, they will manage to get a booking. Most of the times, they do not get a booking. On other hand, parking a vehicle is too expensive and stopping by the road attracts fines.”
Incidentally, this practice is rampant between noon and 4 pm and during wee hours.
Speaking to the Bangalore Mirror, one of the affected said, "This issue has been there for several months but Ola or Uber have been doing nothing to curb the menace. The reasons given by the drivers to collect the fee have nothing to do with the passengers. How can they ask passengers to pay Rs 125 as toll to reach the airport? The passengers are expected to pay the toll only while coming to the city but some of the drivers fleece drivers taking advantage of their situation."
