New Delhi: Parking fee at Bhubaneswar airport is set to end soon, an indication of which was given by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to Odisha Bytes on Friday.
Amid media reports that parking fee has been abolished, AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra clarified that the matter is under consideration.
“Not yet. But a process review for a new parking policy is under consideration,” he said.
Some reports quoted Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha as having said in the Rajya Sabha that AAI had issued new vehicle parking policy on December 10 for the Bhubaneswar airport. In the new policy, he added, concept of free time limit has been removed and vehicle (except commercial vehicles) going to pick-up/drop lanes will not be charged any parking /entry/ access fee.
At present, the airport allows vehicles free six minutes for it.
Parking fee has been a source of much consternation among passengers, who have complained about poor management and violation of parking guidelines by the staff manning the gates.
Former Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda had on several occasions expressed his displeasure over the issue on his Twitter handle in order to bring the matter to the notice of the Ministry. He again tweeted on Friday, expressing pleasure over the decision.
The new policy will be applicable for all the 90 airports operated by AAI in the country.