With flyers complaining about the endless wait for cabs and the traffic congestion inside the recently-started Aero Mall in front of Pune Airport, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has finally stepped in and decided to hold a meeting with cab aggregator companies and their officials to find a solution to the problem.
About the difficulties faced by flyers at the Aero Mall, AAI Pune director Santosh Dhoke, said, “We are aware of the problem and about passengers complaining about the long waiting times for cabs at the Aero Mall. To resolve this issue, a meeting will be held with these cab aggregator companies and their executives, and we will discuss how the problem can be solved. The Aero Mall management team will also be called and accordingly, instructions will be given for the improvement of services.”
Ever since private cabs of the Ola and Uber companies have been given entry inside the Aero Mall, it has become the airport’s newest bottleneck with flyers complaining about being stuck inside the mall even as private cabs enter and exit from the same place.
Surbhi Sharma, a flyer, said, “Passengers throng the place like a vegetable market. There is no network inside the pickup zone so you can never get a cab. After a long and painful wait at the airport for your luggage, you then have to wait for a cab. One hour spent to get a pickup? Who was this mall built for? Is there anyone who has benefited from this Aero Mall Ola/Uber pickup? Land in Pune and get punished for choosing to come here! Get ready to be tested to death with this stupid Aero Mall.”
{{/usCountry}}Surbhi Sharma, a flyer, said, “Passengers throng the place like a vegetable market. There is no network inside the pickup zone so you can never get a cab. After a long and painful wait at the airport for your luggage, you then have to wait for a cab. One hour spent to get a pickup? Who was this mall built for? Is there anyone who has benefited from this Aero Mall Ola/Uber pickup? Land in Pune and get punished for choosing to come here! Get ready to be tested to death with this stupid Aero Mall.”
{{/usCountry}}Another flyer Gundappa Chitnalle said, “The Pune Airport Aero Mall is pathetic. Incoming and outgoing cabs frequently cross paths, the taxi path is narrow… It takes 30 minutes just to exit Aero Mall. How can the authorities allow such complete chaos?”
The Aero Mall was started in November 2022 as a Rs120 crores multi-facility hub including space for parking up to 1,000 cars along with retail outlets, a food mall and office working space. However, passengers have been complaining about long waiting times, incoming and outgoing cabs crossing paths and the consequent traffic congestion, too many staff giving different directions, no visibility of cars and the walk from the arrivals gate to the escalators and then inside the mall which is a challenge for senior citizens.