Passengers demand safety measures at Bagdogra airport

Touts vying to net passengers at Bagdogra airport

Prashant Acharya, EOI, Bagdogra, 11 July 2014: With news of SpiceJet flights flying from Kolkata to Kathmandu via Bagdogra from August 13, business class passengers may be happy, but other passengers who hire taxis have demanded safety and security at the Bagdogra airport.

SpiceJet’s decision to operate flights to Kathmandu thrice a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Bagdogra has no doubt made tourists and regular passengers happy, they are but worried about touts and unauthorised cab drivers who would grab the opportunity to harass them at Bagdogra.

 “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream to make Bagdogra airport an international venue is noble, but the transformation is sure to be accompanied by lots of unnecessary problems,” remarked a passenger from Gangtok.

A few months ago, a doctor from Jharkhand had filed an FIR with the Bagdogra police station against a driver alleging of physically torture. Eyewitnesses said the driver tore the doctor’s clothes after a heated argument over fare. The doctor, who was en route to Nepal with some urgent work, got stuck for more than four hours.

There were four such incidents last year. Touts are more active during the flight arrivals.

Ramu Subba, a member of the Bagdogra Airport Drivers; Association, said, “We have complained to the police about unauthorised vehicles plying from the airport and touts harassing passengers, but all have gone in vain.”

He said that there is no security in the airport premises and miscreants can easily plant bombs in the taxi stand.

Bhaskar Ghosh, who runs a prepaid taxi booth at the airport, said, “Even before passengers approach the booth, touts and unregistered drivers started pulling at their luggage.”

Aftab Khan, another member of the Taxi Owners’ Association, said, “As soon as  passengers come out of the airport, the front gate becomes a fish market. This problem has been notified to security officials.”

Taxi drivers have also complained there is no provision of pure drinking and sitting arrangements. Dinesh Khatiwada of Namchi in Sikkim said there is not a single fan in the waiting lobby and the police have totally failed to check the harassment being meted out to passengers by touts.