Akhado: Ahmedabad Airport Sees 50-60 Police Interventions in 2 Months Amid Rickshaw Puller Clashes

In Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Domestic Airport, passengers have been put at significant risk due to frequent altercations between rickshaw drivers and private security personnel. These confrontations often escalate to physical violence, causing severe issues. It has been estimated that, in the last two months, these disputes have led to around 50-60 incidents where the police have had to be called in. Divya Bhaskar, a local newspaper, attempted to understand the issues from both sides by interviewing rickshaw drivers and security personnel.

Frequent Altercations Between Rickshaw Drivers and Security Personnel

On several occasions, starting around 9:45 PM, rickshaw drivers and security personnel at Ahmedabad’s Domestic Airport have engaged in heated arguments, followed by physical altercations. Violating the rules, rickshaw drivers have been forcibly taking passengers in their vehicles, which often results in disputes with the airport security personnel.

Police Called in 50-60 Times in the Last Two Months

In the normal course of operations, rickshaw drivers often wait at the designated auto stand near the airport’s railings and try to persuade passengers to take their services. Passengers are encouraged to take a rickshaw for their convenience, sometimes leading to uncomfortable situations. Consequently, confrontations have occurred between rickshaw drivers and airport security personnel, with the police being called in 50-60 times in the last two months.

Impact on Violation of Rules 

Ahmedabad’s airport security has been entrusted to a private company for the last two months due to rule violations. As a result, there have been disruptions in the transportation services for passengers, with rickshaw drivers not allowed to approach passengers after breaching the rules. This has led to rickshaw drivers jumping over railings to reach passengers, leading to disputes.

Preparation of a Corridor for Departures

To ease the departure process at Ahmedabad’s Domestic Airport, a corridor for passengers has been prepared, extending around 700 to 800 meters. Rickshaw drivers are not allowed to enter this area, which has led to disputes and confrontations between them and the airport security personnel.

Rickshaw Drivers Charge Passengers Extra

Rickshaw drivers charge passengers an additional fee of 60 rupees every time they park their rickshaws in the airport’s auto stand. However, they don’t always get enough passengers to cover this fee, prompting them to seek out passengers and engage in heated arguments with them. This situation has put passengers at risk at Ahmedabad’s airport.

Security Officers’ Efforts 

According to Kamlesh Khristi, the security officer at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport, only registered Ola and Uber cabs are allowed to pick up passengers inside the airport. No private cars or taxis are permitted to enter as taxis. Nonetheless, rickshaw drivers approach passengers and forcefully try to take them in their rickshaws, causing disputes. Sometimes, rickshaw drivers even pull passengers’ luggage and forcibly take them with them.

Violation of Rules and Non-Adherence to Corridor

The airport’s security personnel have repeatedly explained these matters to rickshaw drivers. They always ensure that the rules are not violated, and they repeatedly stop rickshaw drivers from breaking the corridor’s rules. As a result, disputes and altercations between security personnel and rickshaw drivers have become increasingly frequent.

Elderly Passengers Face Difficulties 

Passenger Reetu Sharma, arriving at Ahmedabad from Delhi, expressed her concern that these corridors are particularly challenging to navigate. Young people can jump over the railings, but elderly individuals have to walk all the way to the entrance door, which is inconvenient and unreasonable. Such arrangements have made it difficult for elderly passengers to access the airport, causing additional hardships. The airport’s current system has failed to provide a convenient solution for passengers, resulting in repeated altercations.