6-lane airport exit bay thrown open to passengers
Tamaghna Banerjee | TNN | Oct 23, 2018, 06:44 IST
The new exit bay has boom barriers and computerized toll collection kiosksKOLKATA: In order to handle extra rush of passengers visiting the city during the festive season, Kolkata airport authorities recently opened a six-lane exit kiosk with functional boom barriers and computerized toll collection counters.
The exit bay was conceptualized after actor Koushik Sen and his son were assaulted last December by toll collection attendants after they complained of being stuck in long queues while leaving the airport. They were allegedly forced to shell out Rs 100 as parking fees for extending the free period of ten minutes inside the airport for their pick-up car. The incident followed a slew of complaints from several other passengers. The authorities then decided to construct a bigger exit bay through which vehicles can leave airport faster without waiting in the queue.
“With the onset of the festive season, the flow of incoming traffic increases manifold, putting pressure on the old exit bay. Hence, we sped up the construction of the new exit bay and opened it for public on Chaturthi evening,” said an official.
Earlier, cars leaving the airport had to squeeze in through three exit bays and pass by three kiosks where the toll collection attendants used to check their in-time and let them leave with or without paying the fee depending on the time of stay. In May this year, two of the kiosks in the new exit bay became operational.
The agency manning the toll collection at the airport said they were handed over the full control of the bay and the kiosks on the day after Mahalaya. After a two-day trial, they shut down the old kiosks at the old three-lane bay and shifted operations to the new bay, around 50 metres ahead.
“The new exit bay offers more space and cars can now leave airport easily without waiting in queue for long. The kiosks have also been modernized and the attendants will soon be given ID cards and uniforms,” said an official of Sushila Trading Corporation that now operates the parking facilities at the airport.
Airport officials said the bay wassupposed to be completed at least two months ago, but some issues with the labourers delayed the work.
The exit bay was conceptualized after actor Koushik Sen and his son were assaulted last December by toll collection attendants after they complained of being stuck in long queues while leaving the airport. They were allegedly forced to shell out Rs 100 as parking fees for extending the free period of ten minutes inside the airport for their pick-up car. The incident followed a slew of complaints from several other passengers. The authorities then decided to construct a bigger exit bay through which vehicles can leave airport faster without waiting in the queue.
“With the onset of the festive season, the flow of incoming traffic increases manifold, putting pressure on the old exit bay. Hence, we sped up the construction of the new exit bay and opened it for public on Chaturthi evening,” said an official.
Earlier, cars leaving the airport had to squeeze in through three exit bays and pass by three kiosks where the toll collection attendants used to check their in-time and let them leave with or without paying the fee depending on the time of stay. In May this year, two of the kiosks in the new exit bay became operational.
The agency manning the toll collection at the airport said they were handed over the full control of the bay and the kiosks on the day after Mahalaya. After a two-day trial, they shut down the old kiosks at the old three-lane bay and shifted operations to the new bay, around 50 metres ahead.
“The new exit bay offers more space and cars can now leave airport easily without waiting in queue for long. The kiosks have also been modernized and the attendants will soon be given ID cards and uniforms,” said an official of Sushila Trading Corporation that now operates the parking facilities at the airport.
Airport officials said the bay wassupposed to be completed at least two months ago, but some issues with the labourers delayed the work.
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