Get (T)out, go prepaid

In the third part of our special series, MiD DAY finds that while touts and fleecing cabbies at the airport have been kept under check, they do manage to target the odd gullible passenger

Get (T)out, go prepaid

In the third part of our special series, MiD DAY finds that while touts and fleecing cabbies at the airport have been kept under check, they do manage to target the odd gullible passenger

The last thing that you would like to do when you arrive at the airport after a long flight is to get into a fight with the cabbie or rickshaw driver at the airport lounge.
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And, as has been reported by MiD DAY in the past, the experience can be no less than a nightmare. Getting overcharged, fleeced and being pushed around by touts is one of the banes of flying these days.

After MiD DAY carried a series of articles that highlighted passenger woes at the airport, the cops decided tou00a0 crackdown on such touts and their visibility at the airport had diminished.
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However, when MiD DAY visited the airport again, we found that while the CISF has been able to push touts and fleecing cabbies out of the arrival lounge, the touts, with a little help from the traffic constables, have been able to regroup and relaunch their operations.

Arrival lounge

The arrival lounge of the Domestic airport used to be the domain of touts and fleecing cabbies that surrounded the passenger as soon as he stepped out of the gates. However, after MiD DAY reported the matter, the CISF enhanced patrolling in the area and booked errant cabbies.

"The CISF is very strict now and the fear among touts has made them change their positions as they know they will not be able to operate here," said a taxi driver on condition of anonymity.

However, despite the CISF crackdown, the cops have been quite liberal in dealing with the touts. "We catch these touts and hand them over to the local police.
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We also provide all the details to the police, but don't know why and how they are let off. We find them back at the same point the next day," said a CISF guard on duty at the airport.

According to an auto driver, there are as many as 75 rickshaws in the airport premises that pay a regular hafta to the cops to operate inside the airport premises. However, he added that touts do find it difficult to operate as freely as they did earlier

Helping Hands

MiD DAY helped more than 30 passengers who were almost trapped by the touts at the arrival lounge.

C Swami, a passenger, was asked to pay Rs 1,500 for his ride to CBD Belapur. When MiD DAY suggested that he approach the prepaid taxi counter, he discovered that the fare was only Rs 675. "I will be aware next time, thanks a lot," said a jubilant Swami.

A cabbie told Kalpesh Shah, another passenger, that it would cost Rs 900 for a ride to South Mumbai, while the prepaid counter cost him a mere Rs 140.

To add to his woes, no taxi driver was willing to ferry him to his destination. When MiD DAY helped him lodge a complaint at the prepaid counter, he was finally able to get a ride. "I don't know when these people will be thrown out of the airport," said Shah.

MiD DAY IMPACT
"If complainants feel that their complaints are not attended to properly at the concerned police station, they can call my office directly at 022-2650 8381. I am looking into the matter and, on every alternate day, I personally visit the airport to take stock of the situation. I will not believe that any cops are involved in this dirty game but yes, if we hear about anyone's involvement in the racket, it will be dealt with severely," said DCP Satyanarayan Choudhary (Zone VIII).

Raids and arrests

>"After conducting raids and following the touts, we found that there are fake taxi men, hotel agents and representatives of tourist agencies. All their documents were bogus. This is how we cracked the case and reached the other touts", said Choudhary.

A traffic constable stopped a rickshaw driver near the main gate of the arrival lounge. We thought that he was imposing a fine, but when the cop spotted this photographer, he zoomed away in the rickshaw

>"On the basis of records available with us and the CISF, we have prepared a dossier containing the details of such touts. The dossier, which also contains photgraphs of the touts, has been provided to the concerned police stations."

>"In the last 10 days, 40 cases have been registered against touts involved in such activities under different sections of the BP and Airport Authority acts. They will not be allowed to enter the airport premises."

THE CAMPAIGN
MiD DAY has begun a campaign to stand up for airline passengers facing regular issues like lost, delayed or damaged baggage. If you happen to be a victim or know anyone who has been one, please send
in your story to MiD DAY at inandout@mid-day.com

If you feel that no action has been taken by the police on your complaint at the airport, you can call this number and register your complaint with DCP Satyanarayan Choudhary (Zone VIII).
022-26508381

40
Number of touts that have been nabbed by the airport police and banned from entering the airport premises

Rs 100
Average hafta that each auto driver pays to operate in the arrival lounge