Drivers aggrieved over ban on entry of autorickshaws inside new terminal of Tiruchi airport

The Airports Authority of India’s move to bar the entry of autorickshaws inside the new integrated terminal building of the Tiruchi International Airport has caused dismay among drivers and a section of passengers

The Airports Authority of India’s move to bar the entry of autorickshaws inside the new integrated terminal building of the Tiruchi International Airport has caused dismay among drivers and a section of passengers. 

A board with the message “autorickshaws not allowed” has been placed at the entrance of the terminal. Violation of the rule would attract a penalty of ₹500, it says. Aggrieved over what it claims as a “sudden move” on the part of the Airports Authority of India, the Autorickshaw Drivers Union of Tiruchi urban district, owing allegiance to the CITU, petitioned the District Collector recently requesting permission to drop passengers and pick them up in autorickshaws from the airport.

In the petition, union’s district general secretary Manikandan said ever since the new terminal building at Tiruchi airport was commissioned on June 11, autorickshaws had been plying to drop passengers with their luggage accompanied by those seeing them off at the airport besides taking those from the airport and dropped them outside the airport premises.  The autorickshaw drivers were paying ₹80 for parking every 30 minutes and paid ₹130 if the time limit exceeded 30 minutes.  However, the airport authorities had all of a sudden placed a board on July 23 stating that autorickshaws were not allowed to enter the airport premises. 

The distance from the entry point of the airport along the Pudukottai Road to the new terminal building was over 1 km. This would pose problems to passengers who wished to hail autorickshaws. They would have to carry their luggage for that distance to reach the terminal building.

A section of drivers, which met the airport authorities, was told that the autorickshaws were not allowed at any airport in the country for “security reasons”, said S. Sugumaran, an office-bearer of the union’s airport unit.  The move would not only affect the livelihood of drivers, but also pose problems and cause inconvenience to passengers who were used to travelling by autorickshaws.  

Passengers coming by bus to the airport from neighbouring districts would have to walk from the bus stop with their luggage up to the terminal building which was quiet a task, Mr. Sugumaran said and added that these aspects should be taken into consideration by the airport authorities. 

Airport Director P. Subramani, when contacted, pointed out that autorickshaws were not allowed at airports across the country.