Blame game on as taxi touts stay put at airport

Lax policing, nexus between parking operators and union leaders and shortage of signage lead to the steady growth of touts and their periodic return at the Kolkata airport inconveniencing frequent fliers and vacationers.

While airport authorities blamed it on police officers for now not having the ability to free the premises of taxi, lodge and excursion touts, police officers passed the dollar on airport officials for “failing to put in enough signage and act tough” towards the company manning the parking who are incessantly hand-in-glove with the touts.

TOI takes a have a look at the issue points and conceivable solutions.

Insufficient prepaid taxi counters

Kolkata airport has only one prepaid taxi counter outside the terminal — near Gate 3C. However, all through rush hour, with passengers coming out from five gates, the counter incessantly is going unnoticed and the touts are available in to money in on.

Solution | There will have to be more prepaid taxi kiosks together with help desks near each and every exit gate to help passengers with instructions to guide cabs and buses as well as to offer information on app cabs.

Lack of proper signage

The airport is sick equipped in relation to modern-day signage with proper instructions pointing the way in opposition to prepaid taxi counters and precautionary directives.

Solution | Provide proper, easily visual and legible signage that allows vacationers and visitors unfamiliar with the airport easy wisdom about each prepaid and app cabs.

Sporadic police presence

Cop presence outside the terminal is limited to the only prepaid taxi kiosk. The authorities had tried to put in three help desks with outposts outside the arrival terminal, however weren't given permission through the airport authorities Solution | Police kiosk at Gate 3 will have to be up and purposeful and there will have to be police officers near each and every of the five arrival gates to act as deterrent.

Absence of vigil due to poor manpower

The terminal premises is controlled through the NSCBI police station that has slightly 45 abnormal workforce to guy all of the airport. This is not at all enough to nab each and every tout.

Solution | CCTV camera coverage of the arrival porch with police officers tracking the pictures from police station. There is face reputation tool that can be utilized. The symbol of a repeat wrongdoer has to be fed into the machine.