Bengaluru: Tensions flared on Tuesday morning as hundreds of taxi drivers protested near the Sadahalli toll plaza on the Bengaluru–Hyderabad highway, demanding a rollback of new parking and pick-up rules for pre-booked private cabs at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The demonstration ended with police resorting to a mild lathicharge after a section of protesters attempted to block traffic.
Drivers alleged that the revised policy disproportionately favours app-based aggregators and has severely impacted the livelihoods of nearly 50,000 independent and traditional taxi operators who have been serving the airport for decades, including during its earlier operations at HAL. They claimed drivers are frequently forced to pay a Rs 100 penalty while exiting the airport.
The protest briefly turned tense when some demonstrators tried to disrupt vehicular movement on the national highway and damaged a few taxis, prompting police intervention to disperse the crowd. Officials said the protest had not been formally permitted, though drivers were allowed to stage a sit-in. Around 150 protesters were taken into preventive custody and later released.
Protesters warned that if the new norms are not withdrawn, overall cab fares would rise and airport passengers would ultimately bear the cost.
Ramesh H, honorary president of the Bruhat Bengaluru Taxi Drivers Union, said the rules were “designed to benefit aggregators at the cost of conventional taxi operators.” He alleged that the airport operator, BIAL, had shifted traditional taxis to the P4 pick-up zone, about 1 km from the arrival terminal. “Passengers, especially those travelling with luggage, children or elderly family members, are finding it extremely inconvenient to reach the pick-up point,” he said.
Ramesh added that passengers have begun complaining and that drivers using the P4 zone are being penalised because it is nearly impossible to complete boarding within the prescribed time.
Echoing the concern, Ramesh Gowda, a cab driver from Yelahanka, said airport trips that once covered fuel and toll costs have become unviable. “After paying tolls, waiting charges and penalties at P3 and P4, we are returning with losses. This rule is hitting us hard,” he said.
Another driver, Mohammed Ismail, said traditional taxi operators fear they are being systematically pushed out of the airport transport ecosystem.
