Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Feb 14: We love to take shortcuts - shortcut to quick money, shortcut to success, and even shortcut in traffic. If the vehicles in front of us are stuck in traffic, we take the 'shortcut' through the footpath and honk at the pedestrian for getting in the way, and if there is one way, we don't mind making it a 'two-way' to suit our convenience, as has been happening at Mangalore airport of late.
Over the past several weeks, the Bajpe Airport, which is on the verge of getting international status (if Moily is to be believed), has been seeing serious violation of a traffic rule at its entrance. The airport has only one entry point from the main road for all the vehicles irrespective of which route they come from. It is strictly a ONE-WAY, and no vehicles are allowed from the opposite side. Once a vehicle enters, it must leave through a separate road designated as the exit point, located at another part of the airport.
But lately, there have been a spate of complaints from motorists and passengers about people violating the one-way rule and misusing the entry point, thus causing great incovenience.
Many taxis, auto rickshaws and two-wheelers entering the airport have been dropping the passengers at the toll-free entry and driving the vehicles back through the same route, hence violating the one-way rule. It is an irony that daijiworld camera has caught a two-wheeler ridden by a police official doing this!
According to some motorists, these vehicles have been breaking the rule to avoid paying the toll at the exit. Many passengers are demanding deployment of strict security officials at the entrance arch of the airport to solve the problem.
This practice ought to be nipped in the bud not only because it is a violation of rules, but also because it causes great annoyance to passengers entering the airport, who are many a time in a hurry to catch flights. It even raises security concerns. In India, all the major airports have been provided with tight security, and the airport authorities concerned are expected to ensure that nothing undesirable happens within and around the airport premises.
Mangalore Airport is time and again in the news for the wrong reasons. Stories of problems faced by passengers inside the airport are quite common, and it is not a new sight to see them arguing with the airport staff over delay in flights, luggage restrictions, etc. The news of Kingfisher Airlines denying entry to an ailing child received much public attention.
There has been a lot of talk regarding international status to Mangalore airport. Every time Dr Veerappa Moily makes a visit to the city, he is armed with a new excuse and a new date for the event. Most have stopped believing him, but the concern here is, if people break laws as and when they please, and if the airport has no competent security to check the violation, does it deserve the status of international airport?
It is a miracle that so far no accidents have been reported due to the violation of the one-way rule, but it seems the authorities are waiting for something unwanted to happen.
Do we wait for that day, or raise our voice to make them wake up from their slumber and put a full stop to the uncivil practice of letting vehicles in the No Entry zone?