Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Apr 2: A video purportedly showing collection of excess parking fares by the parking attendant at Mangluru International Airport is doing the rounds in social media since Sunday April 1.
The video shows a car driver receiving a parking slip of Rs 60 for two-hour parking as against Rs 55 specified for small cars in the parking fee structure. Despite his vehicle being in the small cars category, the driver was issued a receipt for SUV/tempo/mini bus, triggering an argument between him and the parking attendant. The parking attendant is seen behaving arrogantly, flashing his id card and daring the car user to complain against him.
Fee Structure
Coach/bus/trucks - Rs 70
Tempo/SUV/mini bus - Rs 60
Car - Rs 55
Two-wheeler - Rs 15
The rates given above are applicable for two hours. After two hours, the rate increases by Rs 10 per hour. For two-wheelers, the charge after the two-hour period is Rs 5 per hour. The parking fee beyond 7 hours up to 24 hours is 300% of the first two hour rate and every 24 hours or part thereof. Free parking of maximum five minutes is allowed in front of the terminal building.
The above fee structure was circulated in the year 2014, and since then the fee has not changed.
The argument erupts when the parking fee structure is not strictly followed, either out of ignorance of the make of the vehicle, or deliberately. For examply, if a person takes an Audi car to Mangaluru airport and gets a parking slip of Rs 60 despite it being an LMV as mentioned in the registration certificate of the vehicle, the driver would obviously question the reasoning behind categorising it under tempo/SUV/mini bus instead of charging Rs 55 as specified for cars.
Cars like XUV, Fortuner, Audi, Innova and so on come under LMV category as mentioned in the registration certificates of the respective vehicles. Based on this, the Airport Authority of India has formed a policy regarding parking charges for Mangaluru airport.
It is the duty of the parking attendant to apprise the car user of the charges and clear doubts in case of any confusion. Moreover, there are complaints that parking attendants are often arrogant towards car users, which further worsens things.
It is also alleged that if there is a queue of around eight cars or more at the exit point the parking attendants purposely delay in clearing them, so that other cars behind cross the free parking period and are forced to cough of Rs 55 or Rs 60 depending on their vehicle make.
Video Two Month Old
As per the airport officials, the viral video is two months old. Several complaints were received about the parking attendant shot in the video, and acting on the complaints, the airport authorities took action against parking attendant concerned, and terminated him. "We can notice in the video that the parking attendant wore black uniform, but that uniform was changed two months ago," an official said.
Video