Soon, fliers may get to take autos from IGIA

Passengers travelling by budget carriers now might have an option of hiring an auto rickshaw from the Delhi airport. Sidhartha Roy reports.

Passengers travelling by budget carriers now might have an option of hiring an auto rickshaw from the Delhi airport.

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At present, auto rickshaws are not allowed to pick up passengers from the Indira Gandhi International Airport by the Delhi Traffic Police. At the new Terminal 3, auto rickshaws and public transport buses are stopped two kilometres ahead of the terminal and passengers transferred to shuttle buses.

Though pre-paid taxi and radio cabs are readily available at the airport, there are no pre-paid auto rickshaw booths. Auto rickshaws dropping passengers at the airport are not allowed to wait or pick up passengers.

Auto rickshaws, however, might now be allowed at the domestic departure terminal 1D once the full cost carriers and their low cost arms shift to the Terminal 3. Terminal 1D will house only budget carriers IndiGo, Go Air and SpiceJet

"Auto rickshaws are not allowed to avoid congestion but with limited number of airline operating from terminal 1D, they can be allowed to operate," said a senior airport official, who didn't wish to be identified.

Sources said private airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) is discussing the issue with the Delhi Traffic Police. The DIAL spokesman, however, refused to comment.

"This will be a welcome move that was long overdue," said Pankaj Agarwal, a frequent flier.

"Air travel is as cheap as the railways now and a lot of people don't want to shell out large amount of money to hire cabs."

A pre-paid auto rickshaw booth is expected to come up at Terminal 1D by the end of October.