Thiruvananthapuram: Taxi drivers and airport staff have protested against revised parking charges at Thiruvananthapuram Airport, which came into effect on October 1.
Under the new rates, the free parking period for two-wheelers has been reduced from 20 minutes to eight minutes. Cars are charged Rs 150 for up to 30 minutes, up from Rs 100.
Auto-rickshaws and three-wheelers are charged Rs 50 for up to eight minutes. The rate rises to Rs 80 for 30 minutes and Rs 100 for an hour, with subsequent hourly charges of Rs 150, Rs 200 and Rs 250. Full-day parking costs Rs 500.
Employee parking charges have also doubled, with monthly fees of Rs 400 for two-wheelers and Rs 800 for cars.
At the airport, parking fees are collected by a private company BVG on behalf of the Adani Group.
Commuters have also raised concerns over ticketing at the airport. In one instance, a car was reportedly charged Rs 180 after spending only five minutes inside the premises, while the ticket recorded a duration of 10 minutes. Staff reportedly attributed this to an earlier ticket being issued.
Disputes between commuters and BVG staff over parking tickets are also reported to be common.