Mumbai: Rs 150 to Rs 250 for just 30 minutes parking at T2, CSMIA

Visitors arriving in their own vehicles to pick up their loved ones at Terminal 2 T2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport CSMIA are being charged parking fees ranging between Rs 150 general and Rs 250 premium for a minimum period of 30 minutes while parking for eight to 24 hours can set you back by Rs 1000Many have slammed this system claiming they have been made to fork out money despite spending less than 10 minutes at the airport Several passengers also pointed out that the Ahmedabad airport which is run by the same operator as the Mumbai one has a free pickup and drop facility for private vehicles lasting 10 and 12 minutes for domestic and international flights respectively and Mumbai should adopt a similar arrangementPurshotam JagwaniAt Terminal 1 of the airport parking for under five minutes is free for visitors Purshotam Jagwani who was waiting for his brother at Gate C in the arrival section of T2 stated that there should be some form of free parking at least for a few minutes but added ldquoWe canrsquot help it they make the rules and one person complaining wonrsquot change anything So we comply pay and stand here waiting for our relatives to come so we can pick them up and leaverdquoSandeep Bhosle who was waiting for his friend at the same gate said ldquoMany airports have a free pickup system but Mumbai airport mysteriously does not We understand that itrsquos business but this really burns a hole in our pocketsrdquoCentral Industrial Security Force personnel check passengersrsquo identity cards and tickets at Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Andheri on September 5 PICSATEJ SHINDEldquoI have stopped getting my own vehicle or asking family members to pick me up from the airport I live in Thane and for them to come all the way here just for a few minutes doesnrsquot make sense especially with the parking feesrdquo said Karan Jadhav who was heading to the auto stand after getting out of the airport ldquoMumbai airport especially T2 sees a heavy footfall which might make one think that the airport operator might want to arrange parking so that there is no congestion But with no other way but to enter the paid parking zone to pick up people the whole zone becomes heavily congested When you think about it it is a business that they have to run so we chose the next best option either autos or taxi servicesrdquo he addedConcerns raisedThe operator of the X account RoadsOfMumbai on September 3 posted about their experience of having to pay R160 just to enter and exit the airport while picking up their parents pointing out how they ldquodid not park the car at allrdquoKaran Jadhav passenger who was heading to auto stand PicMadhulika Ram KavatturIn conversation with midday the account holder said on the condition of anonymity that in recent months he spent around R320 during two pickups Asked why the pickups were not arranged to take place outside airport premises to avoid the fees he said ldquoThis strategy is not practical when you have to pick up relatives who are senior citizens or someone who has lots of luggagerdquoHe added ldquoPreviously before the construction of the Metro started there was an option where people could pick up their loved ones next to the city bus stopauto stand on the ground floor However CSMIA has blocked entry of private cars into that lane forcing all to enter the paid parking zonerdquoCongestion woesSpeaking about the congested nature of the airportrsquos parking system he said ldquoThe only way to decongest it is to extend a pickup facility to cars from a point where the cars donrsquot need to enter the paid parking zone only for pickups I can understand charging vehicle owners wishing to park their cars on airport premises for more than 15 minutes Because of such high parking charges many people and cab drivers avoid parking their cars inside the airport Instead they park on the Western Express Highway just before the CSMIA elevated road and the road outside the Lalit Mumbai hotel is blocked due to double parking for the same reason leading to congestionrdquomidday sent queries to Mumbai International Airport Limited MIAL regarding parking prices and lack of free pickup time slots but did not receive a reply by press time However additional information received by this paper suggests that the airport operator is considering reevaluating how to make a free pickup spot available for visitors It is said to be trying to find a location close to the airport but also ensures passengers leaving and arriving do not have to deal with touts who are usually found near the exit of the airport premises