In Gujarat Home Minister’s hometown, Surat airport becomes stamping ground for anti-social elements

Surat (Gujarat): Surat airport, which is located in the hometown of Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, has become a breeding ground for anti-social elements. Under the noses of the Surat airport administration, CISF, and city police, a raucous gang of taxi drivers, backed by anti-social elements, has been charging exorbitant travel fares to innocent passengers arriving at the airport.

The anti-social elements have formed an impromptu taxi union of 20 to 30 taxis that operate from the airport to various locations throughout the city. The taxi drivers are so notorious that they refuse to allow drivers from reputable cab aggregators like Ola to board passengers in their taxis and demand Rs 200 per trip booked from the airport.

Surat airport is managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). At present, the total passenger movement till November 2022 was recorded at 10.83 lakh domestic passengers and 25,487 international passengers. If Surat Airport crosses 91500 Pax in December, then the total number of passengers would be 12 Lac + for 2022. In November 2022, about 94,000 passengers traveled to domestic destinations, while 2470 traveled to an international destination.

The taxi mafia has set the fare from the airport to various parts of the city. For example, a ride from the airport to Vesu costs Rs 200, Piplod costs Rs 400, Parle Point costs Rs 500, Adajan costs Rs 600, and Katargam, Varachha and Sarthana, Udhana, Bhestan, Pandesara, and other places cost more than Rs 1,500.

The airport director, CISF, and Surat police are remaining silent on the illegal activity at the airport. Even though the airport’s parking lot is under CCTV surveillance, no airport officials dare to speak out against the taxi drivers due to their strong support for anti-social elements.

There have been reports of new taxi drivers being thrashed and beaten up by anti-social elements for picking up passengers from the airport. When passengers arrive, the taxi drivers can be seen shouting ‘Taxi, Taxi, Taxi’ from outside the terminal building.

According to sources, the taxi union is not registered, and the drivers have not requested permission from airport management to operate taxis. Ola and other aggregator drivers must pay the anti-social elements Rs 200 per trip from the airport.

“Ola drivers must turn off their phones when they arrive near the airport,” a source close to the situation said. “If any passenger at the airport enquire for the cab aggregator, he or she is guided to the drivers outside the airport premises and they have to literally bargain for the travel fares”.