Commuters fume over new parking fee at Hubballi Airport

Hubballi: Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started charging parking fees for all vehicles coming for pick-up or drop-off at Hubballi Airport. Free parking is now restricted to only five minutes. Staff at the entrance are noting vehicle numbers and arrival times, leading to heated arguments with commuters. Due to manual fee collection, long queues are forming during peak hours. Irked by the charges, NWKRTC allegedly withdrew its dedicated airport bus service. At the other end, vehicles coming for pick-up are being parked on Gokul Road outside the airport, causing a nuisance for other vehicles and morning and evening walkers.
PM Veeresha Sharma, an industrialist in Gandhi Nagar, told TOI that he was stunned to know that he must pay when he went to drop his friend there a few months ago. "When the fee was introduced for pick-up and drop vehicles in Bengaluru, there was much opposition from taxi drivers and the public as well. Now AAI has introduced it at Hubballi Airport. It shows both union and state govts are looting money from citizens in all possible ways. They should note that all air travellers are not rich, but air travel has become essential even for the lower middle class," he shared.
A group of morning and evening walkers on Gokul Road observed that many rented taxis and private vehicles are now being parked outside the airport to pick up their commuters. "They come and park on Gokul Road till the flight lands at the airport. Once they get a call from their clients, they rush in, pick up commuters and move out. It is becoming a nuisance for other vehicles and pedestrians on the road. When Hubballi Airport has sufficient space to accommodate, why is AAI collecting fees for pick-up and drop vehicles?" they questioned.
Sources in NWKRTC said they stopped dedicated buses due to a parking fee of Rs 50. "AAI officials did not allow us to park there without a fee, though we are a public transport operator. As flights were getting delayed, it was difficult for us to stop a bus for long. Hence, we halted our services there," they added. It can be recalled here that NWKRTC launched Volvo buses between the airport and Hubballi Railway Station in 2018. As there was no expected response, NWKRTC re-launched non-AC buses in 2022.
Airport director Rupesh Kumar Sripad was unavailable for comment.
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Box
Parking fee at Hubballi Airport
Up to 5 minutes – free
Up to 30 minutes – Rs 20
Up to two hours for cars – Rs 35
Up to two hours for bus/coach – Rs 50