The residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday demanded the authorities concerned to abolish car parking and entry fees at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)’s hired contractor imposed a parking fee of over Rs 40 for visitors for three hours, charging extra in case that time limit is broached, said Baqir Sajjad.
He said that the CAA was charging an entry fee without any additional facilities being provided to visitors, adding that the administration at other airports in the country charged no such fee.
Another visitor, Tanveer said that the authority was unlawfully collecting Rs20 to Rs 40 as entry fee from the public. He said that the airport’s management was collecting Rs 40 from each vehicle but not maintaining their security, adding that ironically, each ticket proclaimed that each person is responsible for their own vehicle in case of theft and/or damage.
He termed the entry fee unjust and expressed disappointment that the airport management was not willing to abolish it.
Muhammad Aslam said that the people who visited the airport to drop off or pick their dear ones were being charged Rs 20 to Rs 40 needlessly, while cars belonging to the government or lawmakers were allowed entry free of cost.
He demanded of the CAA to direct the contractor against collecting the airport entry and car parking fee from the general public.
A CAA official said that they had imposed entry tickets to control the growing number of visitors as there was not enough space to house them.
He said they advertised in the newspapers requesting passengers not to bring too many visitors along but it had no affect which is why they resorted to the entry fee. He added that it led to a 20 per cent decline in the number of people visiting the airport.
According to him, overcrowding also posed serious security threats.