Jaipur: Passengers headed to the Jaipur international airport will now be able to board cabs from the arrival gate instead of walking, luggage et al, to the parking bay for cabs as a part of the monsoon protocol, officials said Tuesday. In a ground visit to the airport by a TOI team, this reporter also saw that cabs have been permitted to drop passengers up to the departure gates while adhering to the eight-minute exit rule. “This arrangement has caused vehicle congestion to ease up a bit, which was earlier mismanaged due to limited access of cabs,” said Ramesh, a rental cab driver. Frequent travellers, who would earlier have to walk some distance to board their cabs, said that the recent development has aided their commutation. “It’s a relief not having to carry my luggage all the way to the parking area 500 metres away,” said Niharika, a student returning from Delhi.Despite this development, drivers of app-based cab services like Ola and Uber are hesitant to cross their designated parking zone due to the fear of being fined, Atma Ram, an Uber driver told TOI. “Since the start of the month, we were told to pick up and drop off passengers at the Ola and Uber parking zone. Airport authorities would fine us Rs 500 if we go outside the designated area for cabs,” he said.Moreover, wheelchair facilities for elderly, disabled passengers at the entry gates of the airport is still largely absent. The absence of a wheelchair assistance kiosk near these designated parking spaces causes serious problems for passengers with reduced mobility, and the nearest kiosk is approximately 500 metres away from the parking area. On Tuesday, Geeta, a senior citizen on a wheelchair with impaired mobility, speech, and hearing, was distressed as she was unable to receive help from the airline staff accompanying her. After repeatedly asking the staff to dial her family member and failing, she was assisted by this reporter. Passengers also reported reluctance to use rental cab service from the airport since they are not pocket-friendly and there is no provision in place to regulate rentals.
Jaipur airport eases cab access | Jaipur News
