KOLKATA: Prepaid cab booking service from inside the airport terminal has resumed after almost two years. Cops restarted operations at the two old kiosks, which were operational before the pandemic, but had stopped functioning with dip in passengers during the last two years.
The resumption of the taxi kiosks inside the airport terminal was one of the primary demands of airline officials at Kolkata airport and they had raised the issue at every coordination meeting in the run-up to the start of summer schedule and international flight resumption.
With the two kiosks back in service, there are five operational taxi booking kiosks inside and outside the airport.
“It was an uncomfortable experience for passengers to stand in the queues at prepaid taxi kiosks outside the airport in the sweltering heat. We had been demanding the setting up of the kiosks inside the airport again and thankfully, our appeals have been heard. Now, the authorities should focus on the other must-have amenities like foreign exchange and SIM card dealing portals at the airport along with increasing the number of CISF and customs officials,” said Rahul Wadhwa, chairman of airline operators’ committee (AOC) at Kolkata airport.
Airport authorities said while they have ticked one of the primary demands, they are working on fixing the other issues as well. “We are steadily working towards getting more manpower as well as getting the Forex and SIM card counters running within days,” said a senior airport official.
“Last month I had a spat with a car driver who had hit my trolley bag while I was waiting in the queue. While I tried to reason that there was no other place to stand, the driver had started misbehaving although I was the one who had suffered more damage than him. I am happy to hear such spats will come to an end once we can wait in the comfort of the AC inside the terminal for our taxi requisition slips,” said Dwaipayan Roy, a frequent flyer and a resident of Behala.
Bidhannagar cops feared the situation might get tricky in the coming days as several taxi drivers, who have registered with the prepaid service, are staying away from the airport and demanding a rise in prepaid fee owing to the fuel price hike.
