Before you use the loo at T3, pay R80

If you are going to see off a friend or relative at the new Terminal 3 (T3) of Delhi airport, master the art of controlling your bladder. Answering the call of nature at the swank T3 can relieve you of R 80. Sidhartha Roy reports.

If you are going to see off a friend or relative at the new Terminal 3 (T3) of Delhi airport, master the art of controlling your bladder. Answering the call of nature at the swank T3 can relieve you of R 80.

HT Image

The world-class, integrated terminal that caters to international flights at present has cost more than R 10,000 crore to

build. Perhaps, that is why nothing comes cheap at the IGI Airport's new terminal.

The terminal has three visitor's lounges — a huge one at the arrivals level that offers a wide array of facilities and shopping options and two smaller ones at the departure level, one each at the international and domestic side. While entry to the arrival visitor's lounge will cost R 80, visitors could enter the lounges at the departure for free on the first two days after operations began on July 28.

Even at the old Terminal 2, visitors coming to receive or see off passengers had to pay R80 to enter the visitor's lounge but there were enough number of toilets outside the terminal, near the airline offices. There were also quite a few food and beverages outlets outside the terminal.

"Toilets are available at the multi-level car parking, which visitors can use," said a spokesman of the private airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL).

The multi-level car parking is opposite the terminal at a considerable distance. Also, there are no signages to guide visitors or passengers to the car parking. The CISF securitymen deployed at the terminal or the customer care executives also had no clue when asked about the toilet facilities.

"We are being treated like animals at this airport because we arrived a few hours before we were supposed to check in for our flight," said Sylvia, a Spanish national. "There is nothing to drink or eat here and I can't find a restroom," she said.