There has been many a controversy over some aspect of the new terminal at the Dabolim Airport ever since it was built around two years ago. But the ceiling crashing and broken commodes in the toilets now pale into comparison with the new ‘bouncer’ issue.
There have been allegations that the contractor in charge of collecting fees at the airport terminal has now employed bouncers, or perhaps just buffed up security guards, to ensure that people collect receipts and then pay a fee if they cross five minute mark. Now, taxi drivers have started to agitate, claiming that they deserve a ten minute period to deposit customers, exchange money and then leave. When they blockaded the entrance to the terminal, the police threatened to cancel their permits, which then resulted in the taxi drivers threatening to commit suicide.
There are three issues which need to be put into perspective here. The first issue is easy; examine the memorandum of understanding to figure out the amount of power the contractor can exert on vehicle owners entering the terminal. This is an issue between the contractor and the Airports Authority of India. If the contractor can employ extra security, there must be a reason for it. If, as they claim, people are refusing to pick up the tickets at the entrance, which has a time stamp to be able to calculate the first free five minutes, then there is sufficient cause. But, security guards using force to get money out of customers falls on the fringes of extortion. It is here that the AAI needs to intervene and lay down ground rules.
The five minutes that is free is relative. When just one flight has either arrived or is taking off, there isn’t much traffic but during certain hours, when there is a lot of commotion, it’s impossible to make it through the logjam of cars and get out within five minutes. The AAI and the contractor need to identify these times and extend it to ten minutes without being charged. This is only logical and fair. There are times when owners have dropped passengers and then made it out later than five minutes because of a traffic jam. To pay Rs 80 to 100 for exceeding five minutes is a massive price. There have to be slabs that calculate fees based on time spent.
There cannot be a separate time frame for private vehicle owners and taxi drivers. It has to be the same since there is not much of a difference to dropping you family off at the airport and dropping a fare, apart for the time it takes for money to exchange hands in the case of the taxi. Taxi drivers blockading the entrance to the terminal and threatening to commit suicide is just a perfect example of the strong arm tactics that they have been using for years now, to get their way in Goa. To hold an airport to ransom is criminal and they should be charged for their actions, not let go on the behest of a few politicians.
If things do need to change, they should for the benefit of the citizens of Goa who are not charging massive fares to ferry passengers to and from the airport. But the bottom line is that there needs to be a rethink done to fix charges at the Dabolim Terminal.
