Bengaluru airport: Now, cabs need to pay Rs 150 for entry, private vehicles to pay fee beyond 7 mins

According to a BIAL source, stay and overstay charges are for vehicles accessing the arrival pick-up lanes at Terminal 1 and 2.

Travelling to and from Kempegowda International Airport is likely to get costlier with Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) deciding to impose entry fee for both private and commercial vehicles, from May 20 onwards.

According to a BIAL source, stay and overstay charges are for vehicles accessing the arrival pick-up lanes at Terminal 1 and 2.

Commercial vehicles (yellow board) that include cabs, need to pay Rs 150 as entry fee for up to 7 minutes. Beyond 7 minutes, they'll be charged a fee of Rs 300. Private vehicles (whiteboard) will be required to pay a fee of Rs 150 for above 7 minutes up to 14 minutes.

Buses will be charged an entry fee of Rs 600 while tempo travelers will have to pay Rs 300. Buses and tempo travelers are allowed to enter through Lane 3 (Terminal 1).

Chaos erupted at KIA on May 20 following the sudden introduction of entry fees without any prior notice.

“The introduction of the pay & use zone at the KIA arrival zones will facilitate traffic flow, while enhanced security measures will prevent issues like haphazard parking and unattended vehicles in Terminal 1 & 2 arrival zones,” a BIAL source told Moneycontrol.

It remains to be seen whether cab aggregators will transfer this extra fee to the passengers.

A BIAL source said that the new fees will apply to vehicles entering the airport's arrival areas but will not affect app-based aggregators like Ola and Uber, which use dedicated zones. Similarly, Meru Cabs, Mega Cabs, and KSTDC airport taxis are exempt since they also pay separate charges to BIAL

"Unattended vehicles and vehicles staying beyond 15 minutes will be towed to the nearest police station at the owner's cost," reads the board installed at the airport.

Fairfax India Holdings Corp., led by Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa, holds a 64% stake in Bengaluru Airport, Siemens holds a 10% stake, and the Airports Authority of India and the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation each hold a 13% stake.

Also, read: Fairfax India expands ownership with additional 3% stake acquisition in Bangalore International Airport Limited