New airport terminal brings hope, but taxi drivers demand fare fair play

Guwahati: Taxi drivers stationed at Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA) have expressed optimism about the newly inaugurated terminal, viewing it as a vital opportunity to revive their dwindling incomes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new terminal last Saturday, which is expected to be fully operational by Feb-end. Drivers believe the upgrade will increase arrivals and departures, thereby boosting ride volumes.The drivers are set to enter into a new agreement with the airport in March, but they have raised several demands. They have urged the authorities to give them first preference for ferrying passengers — a request they claim has already been accepted.

The drivers, who say they are locals and have been operating at the airport since 1987, also want the ride-sharing system to be retained. “Its removal would place a heavy financial burden on passengers.

With the sharing system in place, travel costs can be reduced, making transportation more affordable,” said Bhuvaneshwar Nath, general secretary of the Guwahati Airport Taxi Association (GATA).Highlighting challenges to their business, GATA members claimed that intense rivalry from app-based aggregators such as Ola and Uber has slashed daily earnings over the past few years.

“Earlier, each vehicle made two to three trips a day. Now, due to private players, our drivers often don’t get even a single passenger from the airport. Aggregators dominate the market with dynamic pricing, which is usually cheaper than our fixed fares.

They drop passengers and also pick up new ones, whereas we lack an online platform. Our fares to Guwahati are around Rs 1,000, as we must cover maintenance and fuel costs,” Nath said.With over 450 drivers in the association, they also face parking-related challenges that further cut into earnings. Each trip requires a Rs 120 parking toll. Earlier, fees ranged between Rs 500 and 600, later reduced to Rs 150, but drivers say even that was unaffordable. The current Rs 120 charge applies per trip, though drivers who fail to get passengers are allowed to leave without paying.