Pune: Several measures taken by the city airport and AeroMall authorities to improve cab pick-up point services have proven futile, with flyers remaining frustrated by the system. In the latest move, officials decided to add an extra lane for four-wheelers accessing the facility. “On Aug 22, we observed a crowding problem for a while during late evening hours. Four-wheelers were taking a significant amount of time to exit the building. So, a decision was taken to increase one lane for four-wheelers, including cabs, so that they can get in and out of the building without much delay. Work on the same has been initiated and will be completed in the next 7-10 days,” YS Rajput, vice-president of the AeroMall, told TOI. At present, the AeroMall has three lanes for cabs and two for the movement of two-wheelers. “One of the lanes meant for two-wheelers will be converted into a lane for four-wheelers. Some arrangements need to be made, and we will start work on it. During most hours of the day, the pick-up area is free of crowding issues. Congestion only happens between 11.30pm and around 12.30 am on some days,” Rajput added. However, many flyers said crowding is a regular phenomenon. Pratap Ranade, who landed from Delhi late in the evening on Aug 22, said, “I waited for my cab for more than half an hour after booking it. Then, it took 45-50 minutes just to exit the AeroMall. Why can’t airport officials fix this problem? They need to talk to some proper experts and do the needful. The existing system is really very troublesome,” he said. Another flyer, Abhijit Deshpande, vented on social media last week, saying, “AeroMall is the worst thing that has happened to Pune airport. I think it is not helping anybody’s cause. Absolutely zero traffic management and no coordination.” Baner resident and IT professional Sanjiv Dhan said, “I have just stopped going to AeroMall after landing. Instead, I choose to walk out, stand in a corner of the airport and book a cab. I cannot take the added stress after a flight anymore.” Others highlighted that steps taken till date to ameliorate the situation do not seem to have helped. Authorities had earlier allowed more aggregators to offer cab services, set up help desks on the premises and allowed for OTP-based ride approvals for faster flow over the last few months. Frequent flyer and Warje resident Somesh Rathi said nothing is working, adding, “It is time the Airports Authority of India (AAI) seriously considered a system under which pick-ups can be done from the terminal building premises. Officials should take cognizance as travellers have repeatedly complained about cab pick-ups from the AeroMall. I haven’t seen such an inconvenient system in any other city.”
