Vijayawada International Airport bars auto-rickshaws, yellow board cabs; passengers fume
Many passengers walk more than a km to the highway and get an alternative vehicle of their choice
By Sri Lakshmi Muttevi Published on 2 Sep 2022 9:30 AM GMT
Vijayawada: All autos and yellow board cabs have been barred to enter Vijayawada International Airport. Passengers have to shell out money to hire a rental cab service or just walk to the highway to catch a cab and auto. This is the situation at Vijayawada International Airport every day.
Harshini Car Travels, which is located on the airport premises charges Rs 700 for a 12.6-kilometer distance from Vijayawada airport to Ramavarappadu or Rs 60 per kilometer. For Guntur or Eluru, it charges between Rs 1500-2000. Even in the busiest metro cities like Hyderabad, it costs Rs 750-800 to travel from Shamshabad airport to Hitech City (32.2 km). But the private cab service at Vijayawada airport charges standard prices, which are too high.
Need for Ola/Uber services
The airport needs ola/ uber cab services so that the passengers can decide which car service to opt for. Anytime a passenger arrives at the airport, they are forced to choose the in-house rental car service. "Those who had to long-distance have to depend on the rental car service and shell out money. Many passengers walk more than a km to the highway and get an alternative vehicle of their choice. Why is such a situation seen in a city?" questions a passenger.
Speaking to News Meter, an Ola cab driver said, "Ever since the new government came to power, there is only one private travel service. Every year, only the same travels go for tenders. Ola/ Uber services and yellow board taxis are not allowed inside the airport. While it costs Rs 1300 to travel from Airport to Guntur, the rental cab service charges Rs 1700".
Travelers demand cab services
According to the passengers, traveling from Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada, flight ticket costs between Rs 3000-4000 depending on the travel date. They had to pay almost half the amount to get a cab to their destination. "To get a cab to Gannavaram bus stand which is 4 km away from the airport, they charge Rs 400. I haven't seen any city having such expensive travel to shorter distances. Higher officials should take note of it", said Pragathi, a traveler.
What do officials say?
When News Meter contacted Vijayawada International Airport Director Rama Rao, he said that they will soon call for tenders and Ola/Uber services can also participate.
