Traffic, parking problems expose Bagdogra Airport to securitythreat

MANAS R BANNERJEE, SNS, BAGDOGRA, 13 DECEMBER :The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), guarding the main entrance as the first line of security at Bagdogra Airport. often fails to check vehicles and passengers who come in vehicles, exposing the airport to security threats.

While some drivers there do not allow the personnel to check as they call themselves 'regulars; others also do not want to go through the checks as they would lose the precious five-minute time they get to get stuck in the chaotic traffic, drop their passengers/relatives/ friends, again negotiate out of the randomly-parked vehicles and get out of the airport.

The 'time slip' that a driver is given at the gate by the parking collectors is valid for a mere five minutes,while drivers do not want to lose this time and pay a full Rs 55 for just dropping a passenger.

Traffic congestion is another reason for the security personnel to skip the all-important checks. According to official sources,given such"problems" the CISF personnel at the main entrance have been asked to keep a "strict vigil" on the cars and their occupants, while check only if something is suspicious or amiss.

Parking problems, traffic congestion, proper security arrangements inside and outside the airport, passengers' complaints on several issues, including long queues and the delay in boarding flights, were topics of hot discussion in the last monthly meeting of all authorities concerned, including the CISF, police and airlines, convened by the Bagdogra Airport Director in December, sources said.

"Traffic congestion is being knowingly created by a group of collectors so that they can demand parking fees from the drivers as soon as-their five minute time lapses," sources said.

Congestion at the dropping point near the departure and arrival terminals, due to parking of some government,VIP and Army and other defence wing vehicles on the bay, is a common sight at the airport, while arguments between parking fee collectors and drivers at the gate is all too common, which add to the traffic congestion.

" Drives give us a 200 rupee note and leave the exit count after counting all the money returned to him, ", a parking fee collector fee said when he was asked to comment on the long queue of vehicles at the gate. 

A senior tour operator, meanwhile, said the parking system and the manual method of collection of parking fees is a burning issue at the Bagdogra Airport. The airport authorities should immediately introduce an electronic system to count the time limit, before demanding the parking fees," Samrat Sanyal said.

"The matter was discussed with Airport Director Rakesh Sahay. He took initiatives, conducting surprise checks for a few days, but the situation persists. More plots of land is required to expand the airport premises so as to accommodate a large of cars, while parking arrangements should he made properly as per the category of vehicles," Mr Sanyal added.

"Bagdogra Airport is a small Airport but important due to its location. The number of passengers and Flights is increasing by the day. Security officials handle 3,000 to 3,500 passengers on an average everyday.  A total of 23 flights are scheduled to land here today and then takeoff," an official sources said today morning.

Surprisingly, Bagdogra authorities do not have information on cars that enter everyday due to a lack of system. On an average, 1500 cars enter the airport premises daily, according to a parking fee collector. The private agency that manages the parking here did not reveal the exact number of vehicles that enter and how many vehicles pay parking fees every day.

One of the directors of the private agency, Md. Ejaz, said: 'The manual system was mentioned in the tender, as it was Floated in 2015. An electronic system will be introduced in 2018, as a fresh tender will be floated that year."

"The time limit has been fixed on the basis of the distance covered. Five minutes was fixed because on the short distance,- Mr Ejaz said, adding, "We have contracts for collection of parking fees in Indore, Bhubaneswar, Patna and other airports, There is no proper system." He also disclosed that collectors do not claim parking fees from government vehicles belonging to very important person(VIP).

"How can we charge the fees from the VIPs? A total of 300 local taxis belonging  to different organisations, even affiliated to the Trinamool Congress, don ot pay parking fees, Md. Ejaz claimed