After chief secy’s visit, Karnataka govt directs BIAL to resolve pickup, bus bay issues at Bengaluru airport in a week

The Karnataka government has directed Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to modify its controversial parking and pickup regulations at Kempegowda International Airport within a week, mandating that vehicles be allowed up to the arrival gates to reduce passenger hardship.

The direction came after state Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, who is also the chairperson of BIAL, visited the airport on Friday. Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had on Wednesday pulled up the airport officials over the inconvenience caused due to the new parking policy and reduction of the bus bays in Terminal 1.

Passengers and taxi drivers had complained about the new parking policy implemented at the airport in the last week of December as per which vehicle access was restricted at arrivals, forcing many passengers to walk with their luggage for over 800 metres to reach cabs.

According to sources with the government, BIAL has been given a week’s time to modify the existing rules. “BIAL has agreed to hold meetings with stakeholders and to allow passengers’ private vehicles to be parked at P4. One can also come to the arrivals area to pick up the passengers,” an officer said.

Rajneesh also directed the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) to resume the services of its helpdesk at T1 which was closed for renovation.

Addressing concerns of yellow-board vehicle operators and taxi drivers, the chief secretary said the matter was discussed with instructions given to KSTDC to simplify the registration process. “I have spoken to both BIAL and the KSTDC managing director to bring parity for all service providers,” she stated.

However, the issue related to bus bays, which minister Reddy had highlighted, remains unsolved. Rajneesh has directed the BIAL CEO to hold a meeting with the managing director of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to sort out the matter.

According to BMTC data, there are 22 routes from the airport, on which 156 buses ply. It said the passenger count on these buses recently reduced to around 11,000 from 14,000 since the new policy was implemented last month.

A BIAL spokesperson recently said that the bus bays were not removed but only shifted to Terminal 2. “The main bus bay has been shifted to Terminal 2 at the multi-level parking facility, where a larger bus bay/terminal has been provided. The space at Terminal 1 currently functions only as a BMTC and KSRTC bus pick-up point,” BIAL stated.

Lane Capacity At present, the T1 arrival gate has four pickup curbs with a total of 12 lanes. While each lane has the capacity to handle 30 vehicles every 90 seconds, the simultaneous arrival of over 100 vehicles leads to delays of up to 10 minutes. Measures have been initiated to address and mitigate this congestion.

Valet parking BIAL has agreed to introduce valet parking services for private vehicles in the P4 parking area, enabling vehicles to be brought to the arrival lane within four minutes. The timelines for this will be communicated later.

Multi-level parking BIAL said the existing P4 parking facility, which currently has a capacity of 1,000 vehicles, will be converted into a multi-level parking facility in the future.

No honking zone As per the guidelines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, parking is prohibited within 100 metres of the arrival gate. The police department has been instructed to declare this area a ‘No Honking Zone’ and to take strict action against violators.

Private and commercial vehicles Free access will continue for private (white-board) vehicles, while commercial (yellow-board) vehicles will be permitted only within designated zones.

New standards for taxi and aggregator services Pickup points for aggregator services, including Namma Yatri and Rapido, have been shifted from P1 and P2 to the P4 area.

KSTDC registration Only vehicles that meet the prescribed safety and compliance standards—including mandatory police verification, RTO fitness certification, AIS-140 tracking, functional panic buttons, the Suraksha Mitra app, uniformed drivers, and clean vehicles—will be registered through KSTDC and allowed to park near the arrival gate. As many as 900 permits have already been issued, with provisions to issue more if required.

Shuttle services Inter-terminal and parking shuttle buses will operate every five minutes. In addition, six specially equipped vehicles with hydraulic facilities have been provided for senior citizens and wheelchair users.

Passenger support A transport assistance desk has been set up to guide passengers. Twenty BIAL personnel have been deployed to assist with luggage, and new directional signage has been installed to ensure smooth and easy passenger movement.