Uber and Ola cabs will again have dedicated pick-up points in front of the terminal building of the Kolkata airport from Saturday, officials said.
The absence of the designated pick-up points is a major reason why getting a commute from the airport has been a problem.
“Effective from early on Saturday, 14 slots at the pick-up point meant for app cabs will be designated for Uber and Ola. The counter for Uber inside the terminal building on the arrival area will also resume operations,” a senior official at the airport said on Friday.
“The fee to be paid by the Ola and Uber operators to the airport has been fixed at Rs 65 per trip,” he said.
Earlier, the fee was Rs 100 per trip.
Seven Uber and as many Ola cabs will be allowed to be parked in the lane opposite the entrance to the parking lot, where other taxis and app cabs are now parked.
Both Uber and Ola had designated pick-up points at the airport but the system was discontinued following a dispute over fees to be paid by the operators to the airport authorities, sources said.
Now, Uber and Ola cars are parked elsewhere. Once a flier books a ride through the app on his or her phone, the car comes in front of the terminal to pick up the passenger.
Several passengers said they faced problems getting an app cab.
A Kolkatan who had gone to Hyderabad for work last month recounted her experience on her return to the city.
“My flight landed at the Kolkata airport around 8pm. I tried to book an app cab thrice but every time the driver cancelled the trip. I then downloaded the Yatri Sathi app and tried to book a cab through it. There, too, I faced the same experience,” the woman said.
“There was a long queue in front of the pre-paid taxi booth. Finally, after waiting for almost one-and-a-half hours, I was able to book a cab,” she said.
Another Kolkatan recounted the experience he faced on his return to the city from Delhi last month.
“First, the driver said he could not come in front of gates 1A and 1B because that lane was for private vehicles. So, he asked us to stand in front of the lane on the outer side. However, after some time, he asked us to walk further down and get into the cab,” said the man, who had gone on a vacation with his wife and son.
The family had several pieces of luggage with them.
“Finally, after almost half an hour after booking the cab, we could get into it. The driver said he could not find a pick-up point because of the chaos,” he said.
“Designated pick-up points should reduce such harassments,” said an airport official.
Airport officials said passengers who do not have the apps for booking cabs on their phones and who do not have an Indian SIM face problems in booking a cab.
“For them, the Uber counter inside the terminal would help. The person at the counter can help them book a cab or download the app,” said an airport official.
However, another airport official pointed out that if the lanes were not managed properly by police, the chaos would continue.