Deepanshu Gupta

I've so far stayed away from commenting on @BLRAirport's sudden decision to charge all commercial taxi operators ₹285 to enter T1 and pick-up passengers within 10 mins - every additional 5 mins is another ₹150. And even this spot is a 5 min walk from arrivals gate. The free P4/P3 is a 10-15 min walk and there's a free bus shuttle - but it's super inconvenient with luggage or for aged parents, and there's no cover (so good luck during rains). For 3+ months now, this has become highly inconvenient for all our guests & it's been hurting our business. I myself wouldn't book a @shoffr_in from P3/P4, and last time when I paid for premium parking realised that it's not really that premium. Still, I didn't feel like I should create an issue out of this - after all, every busines including BIAL wants to increase their revenue. But recently someone close to me reminded me that we have a voice, and we should use it - not just for our benefit, but also for that of thousands of other individual taxi drivers and small fleet owners. And most importantly, for all the travellers who are now either forced to walk or select expensive-and-not-worth-it options that are in front of them. I'm not saying don't charge us - but going from 0 to ₹285 is a steep increase and gives no time for businesses to adjust and account for this cost. Instead I propose charging ₹100 per entry for 2026, and then increasing it to ₹200 next year. It's a fair trade-off between adding a revenue stream (which was non-existent for years) and not inconveniencing the very passengers who use and bring revenue to your airport. And it gives time for businesses to adapt. The current situation is unfair to commercial taxi operators, inconvenient for travellers - and so reflective of the monopolistic position of BIAL and airports in general. I kindly request the relevant authorities to use this position in a manner that improves the ecosystem for everyone, rather than disbalance it. To those reading this - if you've been impacted and agree with my views, please repost this in the hope that it's picked by media and Govt. authorities so that BIAL is forced to rethink it's current approach. They might be a monopoly we can't escape using, but we all have a voice too. Let's make them hear us 🙏🏼 deccanherald.com/india/karna…