Drivers charge Rs 2,500 from BIA, arrested

Drivers charge Rs 2,500 from BIA, arrested
BY AMIT S. UPADHYE
BENGALURU







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‘ We received many complaints last week from passengers from Italy and other European countries that the taxis which took them from ‘ the airport to their hotels charged the
The Bengaluru International Airport has busted a racket by a gang of taxi drivers to cheat gullible passengers, mostly foreign nationals, by charging them exorbitant fares of Rs 2,500 and more for a non-air-conditioned ride to the city.

BIAL officers on Monday apprehended two such taxi drivers and handed them over to the Devanahalli police. The two men Kadir Velu, 20, and his associate are allegedly part of the gang of taxi drivers which cheats foreigners and newcomers to the city by charging them exorbitant fares, according to a senior officer from the BIAL.

“We received a few complaints last week from passengers from Italy and other European countries that the taxis which took them from the airport to their hotels charged them Rs 2,500. In fact, the taxi driver had demanded Rs 4,000 to drop a couple to the Istha hotel in Ulsoor and settled for Rs 2,500 after much haggling,” the officer said.

The driver in question produced fake receipt books of the airport taxi stand to convince the passengers about his legitimacy.

“One of the arrested taxi drivers said the modus operandi of the gang was to wait at the international air port with a placard carrying a foreign name and rush to the passengers as soon as they arrived, to escort them to their taxis. Not all fell prey to their tactics as there are a number of authorised taxis running from the airport,” the officer explained.

DCP (north east) Basavaraj Malagatti points out the police has directed taxi operators to display boards with the tariff so that newcomers to the city are not cheated.

“The taxi operators have already been directed to have display boards at the airport and a tariff menu in the car to avoid confusion,” he said.