Pune: An express lane has been created to ensure unhindered movement of feeder buses picking up passengers from the airport arrival gate to the cab pick-up zone in AeroMall.
The step was taken after concerns arose over haphazard parking of private vehicles in front of the arrival and departure areas, particularly during late evening hours.
AeroMall vice-president YS Rajput told TOI that they have ensured no vehicle is parked in the express lane. “The dedicated lane opened earlier this week. We have three buses that transport arriving flyers from the airport to AeroMall, from where they can go to the cab pick-up area. It was observed that due to improper parking of private vehicles in front of the departure area, these buses were getting delayed. With all flights now shifting to the new building, this transport needs to be speedier.”
All flights have shifted to the new terminal of Pune airport from March 5.
Elaborating on the illegal parking issue, Rajput added, “We cannot keep arguing all the time with people who park incorrectly. Still, whenever we see a vehicle parked, with no one sitting inside it and its engine switched off, we fine the owner. But now, those coming to pick up someone keep the engine running and ask someone to sit in the passenger seat. When our staffers tell them to move away, they argue about technicalities. It has become a major problem for us, blocking the path of feeder buses.”
Earlier, Pune airport had a rule under which fines were slapped on vehicles parked beyond 3-4 minutes. Currently, while commercial vehicles are allowed to drop off passengers, they can’t do pick-ups. Private vehicles are allowed to enter only for pick-up or drop-off and then must exit. If private vehicles arrive early for a pick-up, they can wait at the multilevel parking of the AeroMall till the flight arrives and passengers start exiting the building. However, many flout this rule for their own convenience.
Rajput said, “We have written to the airport authorities seeking clarification and a solution to this issue. They said clarity is awaited on the same from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) headquarters.”
Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke remained unavailable for comment despite attempts by TOI to reach him.
However, an airport official, said, “Motorists breaking parking rules are being fined and the drive will be intensified in coordination with the AeroMall authorities.”
Flyers said that the authorities needed to take some urgent steps to address the problem. “At Pune airport, one has to wait for buses and then cabs and it takes a long time to finally leave the airport and proceed to one’s destination. Often, the wait is longer than the flight’s duration,” said Abhinandan Pandey, an IT professional and regular flyer.
Another flyer Samyak Masulkar recalled a recent experience. “I travelled from Bhopal to Pune, which took 55 minutes. But it took 40-45 minutes for the luggage to arrive at the conveyor belt. When I finally got my bag, I had to wait for nearly 30 minutes for a cab,” he said.
