Chennai: The next time you’re going to receive your mother-in-law at the airport, be warned: she’s not going to be pleased at all the extra walking. Since Wednesday, no cars are being allowed to drive up to the arrival gates of the new domestic terminal and pick passengers up as they exit the building.
Instead, people will have to park their cars in the parking lot and go receive arriving passengers on foot and take them back to their cars, on foot.
And the blame is squarely placed on an oft-maligned entity — security concerns. “During the last review meeting, the police told us that for security reasons we have to enforce this move. There have been some complaints so we have requested them to allow people to drive into the corridor at least when there is rain,” said an Airports Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson.
Though the parking lots are less than 200 metres away from the farthest gate, the move has come in for some sharp criticism from elderly passengers and regulars. “It is ridiculous that people have to walk so far to get to their vehicles when there is a functional road next to the arrival gates,” complained 64-year-old Rajesh Rao, who arrived in the city from Mumbai, on Thursday. Others like V Ramanujan, an oil corporation employee who flies regularly, added that not only was it “inconvenient” but also meant that the parking lots were a lot more clogged now.
12/07/14 Daniel Thimmayya/New Indian Express
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Instead, people will have to park their cars in the parking lot and go receive arriving passengers on foot and take them back to their cars, on foot.
And the blame is squarely placed on an oft-maligned entity — security concerns. “During the last review meeting, the police told us that for security reasons we have to enforce this move. There have been some complaints so we have requested them to allow people to drive into the corridor at least when there is rain,” said an Airports Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson.
Though the parking lots are less than 200 metres away from the farthest gate, the move has come in for some sharp criticism from elderly passengers and regulars. “It is ridiculous that people have to walk so far to get to their vehicles when there is a functional road next to the arrival gates,” complained 64-year-old Rajesh Rao, who arrived in the city from Mumbai, on Thursday. Others like V Ramanujan, an oil corporation employee who flies regularly, added that not only was it “inconvenient” but also meant that the parking lots were a lot more clogged now.
12/07/14 Daniel Thimmayya/New Indian Express
