Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will start charging entry fees for vehicles that stay longer than the free time limit from December 8.
As per Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), private cars (white-board vehicles) will get 8 minutes of free time in the arrival pick-up zone at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. If a vehicle stays longer than that, it will have to pay Rs 150 for 8-13 minutes. If the vehicle stays beyond that limit, it may be towed to the nearest police station and the owner will have to pay fines and towing charges.
Rules for commercial vehicles
Commercial vehicles such as yellow-board taxis and electric cabs must wait only in their designated parking zones. They will get 10 minutes of free parking. Commercial vehicles going to Terminal 1 must go to P4 or P3, while those going to Terminal 2 must go to P2. Private vehicles are those with white boards, while yellow-board taxis, EV commercial vehicles and self-drive yellow-board vehicles are treated as commercial.
These charges will not apply to private cars or taxis dropping off passengers at the departure gates.
Purpose behind the new system
BIAL said these new “enhanced pickup measures” are meant to make passenger movement smoother, reduce traffic and improve safety and convenience in the arrival area.
KIA is India’s third-largest airport and handles around 1.3 lakh passengers every day. According to BIAL, almost 1 lakh vehicles use the airport roads daily, putting a heavy load on areas meant for pick-up and drop-off.
“Prolonged waiting by private cars and cabs creates artificial congestion, hindering traffic flow and inconveniencing passengers and drivers. To address this and to improve the passenger experience, BIAL is introducing a lane segregation system to enforce discipline, prevent unauthorised parking, and reduce dwell times. This will ease kerbside congestion and deter misuse of the pick-up zone in front of the terminals,” BIAL, which operates the Kempegowda International Airport said in a statement.
The airport also said that many unauthorised cabs and private cars have been parked near arrival gates, blocking ramps or stopping on the roadside to pick up passengers. This leads to traffic jams, delays and safety risks. To avoid this, travellers are encouraged to use only official pick-up points and approved cab operators such as Airport Taxi, Uber, Ola, Quick Ride, OHM electric cabs and WTI. Anyone stopping in the wrong area, blocking a lane or staying longer than permitted may face penalties.
Earlier in May 2024, a similar rule was introduced but withdrawn after protests from cab drivers, who had called it “daylight robbery”. Many passengers had also complained that the charges would make airport travel costlier.
The earlier model allowed only seven minutes of free access, after which private vehicles had to pay Rs 150 for staying up to 14 minutes. Commercial vehicles were charged Rs 150 for the first seven minutes and Rs 300 for 7–14 minutes. Larger vehicles like buses were charged Rs 600 and tempo travellers Rs 300. A lost ticket cost Rs 600.
This time, BIAL said the free time has been increased from seven to eight minutes and that users are being given “sufficient” time to plan ahead.