Commuters waiting in a line for Uber cab at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Thursday.
DH Photo B K Janardhan
Discouraged by poor earnings, hundreds of cab drivers have stopped picking up passengers from the Bengaluru airport. The shortage of cabs has led to flyers waiting 45 to 90 minutes, mostly in Ola and Uber queues.
On November 12, an X account called Karnataka Portfolio, posted such a video and said the waiting time was nearly an hour.
Tanveer Pasha, president of Ola Uber Driver’s and Owner’s Association, says not more than 500 cabs are driving up to the Ola and Uber stands at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). “There used to be 1,500-2,000 of them six months ago. Many drivers have sold their cars to buy autos. They find auto rides more profitable,” he says.
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) reportedly increased the pickup fee for ride-hailing firms by Rs 172 to Rs 260 in August. That could have triggered the exit, Pasha says.
“Last year, the fare from the airport to M G Road was Rs 1,050 and drivers would make about Rs 400 after deductions. Now the fare is about Rs 900 and they earn Rs 130-150. That is because Rs 300 goes towards airport parking and pickup charges, up to 30% goes as commission to the app, and about Rs 200 for diesel. It is not worth the effort,” he explains.
The cab shortage is becoming evident now because “the airport sees more crowds during the festive and holiday season and even drivers take festival breaks”, he says.
N Ashok Kumar is a cab driver who takes up airport drops but refuses pickups. “After dropping customers, I leave immediately, so parking charges don’t apply. I start accepting rides after I am 5 to 15 km away from the airport,” he says. “Many cab drivers have left the Ola and Uber stands. These are mostly people like me who own cars and have to find viable ways to pay our EMIs,” he adds.
Cab driver Prakash continues to accept airport pickup requests “because earning something is better than going back empty-handed”. He confirms that the stands are “not as full as before”.
Pattabhi Rama P L, organising secretary, Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union, confirmed that cab drivers are switching to driving auto rickshaws for better earnings. “In addition to booking autos via apps, people can hail them on the road too. That is not the case with cabs. Nobody would ask a cab parked on the road for a ride. That’s the advantage with autos.” He says after the metro to the airport becomes operational, the business of app-based cabs will be hit further.
Flyers’ struggle
Many flyers Metrolife spoke to were not aware of other commute options from the airport (see box).
Last week, Aparna Kamat found a cab after waiting for 45 minutes. “The Vayu Vajra driver was calling us out to board the bus but I had too much luggage. I was travelling with my two daughters. I didn’t want to get off the bus and then look for a cab to get home,” says the freelance editor.
Eliza waited for an hour and a half at the airport on October 6. The Wilson Garden resident recalls, “I had reached almost the front of my queue when my OTP expired! If I could not regenerate a new OTP in time, I would have had to go to the end of the queue. Taking a bus was not an option because it was midnight and I was alone.”
Sujith found a taxi at the private parking and paid through his nose after waiting for an app-based cab for 30 minutes. This was in mid-September, past 10 pm. The social entrepreneur avoids the bus because it “stops too many times”.
Travellers like Prakruthi K don’t mind shelling out more to get home quickly. “I was alone. When I could not find a normal cab, I booked an Uber XL (that can seat six people) for Rs 2,000,” says the Horamavu resident.
‘Taxi for women’
After waiting endlessly at Ola and Uber stands, frequent flyer Rupa Balachandar has switched to Airport Taxi. “The fare is Rs 200-300 more but you get the cab in minutes. And they get you women-driven cabs if you request one,” says the TV food show host.
Ola and Uber did not respond to our queries.
Other travel options from BLR airport
1. BMTC operates the ‘Vayu Vajra’ bus 24/7. Fares go from Rs 130 to a little over Rs 300. Schedules on mybmtc.karnataka.gov.in
2. BIAL runs over 1,000 ‘postpaid’ vehicles by the name of ‘Airport Taxi’. Fares are government-prescribed. Night-time charges apply. Women travelling alone or with children can request women-driven cabs (with pink branding). These have panic buttons and helpline numbers inside, according to a BIAL source. Book on BLR Pulse or at the kiosk. There is no online tracking feature on the app, the source adds.
3. BluSmart runs a fleet of electric vehicles. Book in advance on their app or at their kiosk. Details on blu-smart.com
4. South Western Railway runs six trains from KIA halt station to the city, between 8.18 am and 7.23 pm, on all days except Sunday. Fares range from Rs 10 to Rs 30. You can find their schedules on the NTES app on Android and iOS. BIAL offers a free bus shuttle between the station and the two airport terminals.
Drops easier
Find it easy to find rides to the airport? There is a reason for that, say drivers.
“The fare structure is Rs 15-16 per km from the city but Rs 9 per km back to the city. The apps aren’t implementing the government's flat fare regulation,” explains union leader Tanveer Pasha.