Monday, May 9, 2011

Bad days ahead for Chennai Airport Passengers

I dont believe "This is a Airport at an, Important Metros of India ". You must have heard in an American Accent from Techie returning from a Dollar Dreams. Dusting out the exagerations, you have no other choice, but still, to say yes i agree, if its about Chennai Airport. Though Chennai Airport, we may satify ourselves, is undergoing a massive infra developments, like anyother Infra project of India, it is made to meet the current requirement and is done without a vision. And before its come into form, its already an obsolete or must be "full" to its capacity on that day its put for utilisation.

See full size imageFor sure this article may not read the pulse of the Irate, of the Infra failures of Chennai Airport, starting from poorly maintained Toilets, floorings, smile less crew, daily changing floor / route plans and so on, wherein as the heading suggest, I will speak about the dark days chennai passengers are ahead. Literally means new problem we are going to face sooner or already a one we have not voiced out yet. Nothing new we are so much used to take a choice, which is to adjust, or taking up a decision to palp the moment than to have  vision in it.

Now to the problem. I am unsure how many of you are already booking a pickup, in advance, for yourself when u are boarding a flight to Chennai. If you are, i should count as pecentage, which is negligible. Then comes the major percentage of ppl, who get picked up by theirs, Friends, foes, Boyfriends and the Hotel you have booked your stay at Chennai or by you Company folks. However the Majority of us, more than 70%, i assessed, where the once, once picking up our luggages from conveyor belts, forgetting to checking the safety of it. we walk out through, daily changing exit doors of Chennai departure to find or to book a Vehicle. note i never mentioned Auto. If you have been landing in Chennai offlate, you must not have failed to notice, Auto Rickshaw`s, the perenial choice of Chennaites, at masse, is not anymore a choice of vehicle at Chennai Airport. And if this is breaking news for you now, yes this article is for you.
Auto`s are not anymore alowed into Chennai Airport. To that matter, if you take a auto ' To Chennai Airport' then you may have to get down on the premissible limit of Auto`s into Airport at other side of the Road near Airport. And you have walk almost a KM to departure gates, and if its international departure, better you start praticising, some trekking excersises. NOW ! ! ! !. And i am seriously unaware, how that such an important issue like this, which affect the sundry auto pullers of Chennai, on the major income, has not even disturbed the Communist comrades. Gawd save Commie`s.

Now that you ask, then whats the other choice left is " Taxi`s ". Yes whats wrong in it. ? specially when the fare is re imbursed by my Company or My Husband or My Boy Freind, you may ask. Its not the matter of money you are gonna spend on it. before we walk  Before we wlakover further, i need to appraise you about some facts about the Airport.
      
 Chennai Airport
  • Third Busiest Aiport  In India
  • It handles both International and Domestic route and Both Cargo and Passenger.
  • By Good grace of God the Cargo operations are at worst ever, that most cargo diversions are happening to BLR and HYD and most others are shifting their mode of operations to move from AIR to SEA.
  • The Airport has been assessed to have handled, 10.53 million passenger in 2009- 2010, among which 6.67 million contributes domestic passengers alone. ( AAI Website ).
Just if add a market factor for one year as 10 % growth, we fragily arrive at 7337000 for the year 2010 -2011. which is an odd 20,000 passengers a day. As per our former percentile we derive, 14000 ppl needs a "cab" after they land into chennai Airport for the Entire Day. Yaah scooping a dive back into the problem now.
Once you land in Chennai Airport, next to Baggage claims you will note Four or Five Taxi Kiosk and a AVA Kiosk Placed in the Domestic terminal. Even if you miss them out on your way you may not miss the yellow hoarding Fastrack Kiosk Waiting for your booking on the Exit and Airport Taxi Kiosk ( not actually one, its just a table and 2 guys, just next to a sad tree ). Okay, if i have to rephrase my earlier statement, it will sound like this you are totally dependant on either Fastrack or the Black Amabasaddor Taxis, Non A/C, ( airport Taxi ) for you to travel ahead.

Fasttrack control 300 - 400 Taxis of their own and they have 2000 taxis on attached services. And then the Airport taxi will have another 2000 taxis only. Puttogether you have totally approximately 4500 - 5000 taxis at your disposal. Wow, Somany ppl waiting for you. So princely isn`t it. but what if you are not the First one, or if your the 9000nth passenger in the Airport. Simple

  • You either have to walk with your luggage ( is it 20 KG / pax ??? ) till 2 Kms to catch an alternate
  • Or you will have book a CAB( not the aforementioned ), Standing in the airport to come pick you up, who will add fancy charges, to fat up your bill almost, you ll end footing 1 and 1/2 times more than the actuals
  • Or you will just have for wait 40 min - 1.30 Hr for the booked cab to come.
  • You may be abused, if you pester to expedite the CAB placing.
  • This stranded human population may give rise to extended issues like, space, jammed exits, and if everything goes well , some lathi charge, stampede, panic, pandemonium.
  • You want more ? ? ? ?
Why is Only Fastrack and Airport Taxi. ? ? Being an Indian, makes you ineligible to question Congress and DMK. Mind it. ! ! ! ! !. Oh dont try that, you cannot blame it on Safronisation either.
 Now ? i`ll suggest a Desi ( middle Class ) Trick, as usual get used to it. Add 1 HR in your Chennai Travel Itenary, also some 100 - 150 per trip. And They Lived happily Ever after.........

Else try something new Voice it out ! ! ! !