App-based aggregators like Ola, Uber, and BluSmart are expected to charge 30–40 percent higher per ride pickup fee when customers book cabs from Bengaluru airport.
Are you planning to book an Ola or Uber from the Bengaluru airport? It might now cost you more. App-based aggregators like Ola, Uber, and BluSmart are expected to charge 30–40 percent higher per ride pickup fee when customers book cabs from Bengaluru airport, meaning that consumers will have to pay extra for taxi rides, as per a report by the Economic Times.
The agreement that Bengaluru International Airport Limited has with these ride-hailing platforms for the usage of aerodrome premises is up for renewal, as per the report. Similarly, as per the agreement, the three ride-hailing platforms have separate pickup zones at the Bengaluru airport. Other private airports, such as Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, also have this agreement.
Under this agreement, a certain amount on every cab ride is paid by the ride-hailing platforms to the airport operator. Following this, the charge is passed to the passengers under the airport pickup fee option. At the moment, BluSmart charges Rs 218 for each journey, while Uber charges Rs 187. Further, ride-hailing platform Ola charges Rs 172 per trip.
Speaking to the Economic Times, a senior executive said, “Every company negotiates its own terms with the airport operator depending on the volume of rides it is able to bring in... If a company does a higher number of rides every day, the per-trip fee negotiated is lower.”
The report says that 70 to 75 percent of the rides at Bengaluru airport are via these three platforms. Apart from the aggregators that operate through apps, Mega Cabs, WTI Cabs, Carzonrent, and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation are among the cab companies that have concessionaire agreements with BIAL.
Recently, the Bengaluru airport authority overturned the new pricing structure that required private and commercial cars to pay a fee to enter the airport grounds. BIAL halted the plan to charge entry fees for arrival pickups on Monday in response to driver protests, passenger pushback, and an online outcry, according to Moneycontrol.