Goemkaponn Desk
DABOLIM:
Airport Director Gagan Malik on Friday clarified that the airport has sufficient parking space, but maintained that parking facilities at airports cannot be offered free of cost to taxi operators.
“There are many instances where we hear some people say that the airport does not having parking space and this is not true at all.”
“At any given time, the space allotted for parking is almost empty, the reason being that taxi operators want the parking to be offered free of cost,” Malik told reporters.
“Parking space at the airport cannot be free and we have sufficient space to accommodate sufficient vehicles and we are also developing new areas for parking facilities.”
Malik said they would soon get all clearance for the multi-level car parking as well.
“But the question is, despite developing all these parking facilities, would people and taxi operators be willing to pay nominal charges for the facility made available to them,” asked Malik.
The airport director said some taxi operators park their cars by the roadsides and lure passengers at the airport terminal and force them to walk with their baggage all the way out of the airport.
“Sometimes, passengers get them down the ramp and are made to cross the road to the other side and these is dangerous.
“Even if some taxi association or union has any issue, they can discuss the matter with me or the parking contractor, but people must come forward,” said Malik.