The airport has provided passengers with alternatives like AC Volvo buses and other taxi services.
Passengers at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) are finding it difficult to get cabs as heavy rains caused traffic congestion in the city.
Amid this issue, airport authorities tweeted a passenger advisory –they have dedicated a land-side assistance team at the airport to help passengers get a cab.
Rajdeep Shyam, a passenger, said, “Last night I had to wait for almost an hour to get a ride to the city. There were long queues and no one to guide us.”
Sharanya Shetty, another passenger, said that there were no cabs other than the airport taxi which had an hour-long waiting list. Many passengers have also tweeted about their difficulties on Twitter.
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) spokesperson said that drivers take around five hours to drop customers and drive back to the airport.
“Passengers are majorly facing problems in booking a ride in the evenings and at night due to the heavy rains and increased traffic in the city. Many have been stranded at the airport for hours as they were unable to find a cab. Now we have circulated the landside assistance number to provide help,” the spokesperson said.
Drivers say they find it difficult to navigate through heavy rains. “There is water logging, trees and poles have fallen and roads have been closed. Due to this we have to continuously re-route a trip to complete it. This causes a delay in reaching the airport for more pickups and sometimes we even don’t accept rides in bad weather conditions,” Sagar, a cab driver said.
Cab service companies say that they are trying to tackle the situation. Suhasini, Executive, Meru Cabs Bangalore emphasized on how drivers get stuck in the city due to the rain. “This is something which isn’t in our hands but we try our best to accommodate the passengers who wishes to book a ride as per availability,” she added.
Hemant, manager at Janta cabs, an airport taxi service in Bengaluru. He said that passengers usually opt for Ola and Uber because of lower prices. “The fares actually depend on the distance you travel irrespective of the cab services one opts for,” he said.
Airport authorities said they have now provided alternatives for passengers for easy commuting.
“We guide them with alternatives like AC Volvo buses, taxi services or car rentals and hires. In the mornings there isn’t any problem in terms of getting a ride. But the problem is happening majorly in the evening hours following the rains,” Shiva, executive of the Land-side assistance team said.
