ISLAMABAD: Resident bikers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have no access to Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) Islamabad since the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has failed to provide parking spaces for their motorcycles.
Pakistan Today observed that when the motorcyclists reach BBIA and attempted to enter into the parking area, they are stopped outside by the Airport Security Forces (ASF) and prevented from entering the airport premises. Hence, they are forced to park their bikes outside the airport and enter the airport on foot.
However, their parked bikes are lifted by the traffic police officials who state this as illegal parking. As a result, the bikers are forced to pay the challan and the lifting fine.
During a visit to the airport, the local people there expressed their distress while talking to Pakistan Today.
One of the bikers, Sumair Saeed said that he found his motorcycle missing which he had parked on the road after being denied entry into the airport. When he attempted to locate it, he discovered that the traffic police had lifted it and stated “illegal parking” to be the reason.
Similarly, Khalid, another citizen present there, said that the authorities did not tell him where to park his bike and when he parked it on the road, he was fined.
Sajid Abbas, another biker, whilst talking to Pakistan Today said that the bike users are “sometimes instructed to park their bikes almost one kilometre away from the airport, across the double-road”.
He added that there was no any parking area there and the bikes are to be parked on the main road. He added that it is extremely problematic for the bikers to cross the road on foot with luggage.
Sajid also said that because of this, several road accidents have occurred when people have attempted to cross the double road with luggage in hand. He stated that the “CAA is forcing us into accidents with their stringent rules”.
On the other hand, traffic police officer Kaleem said that the traffic wardens on duty are instructed to fine anyone who parks their bike on the road and hence they have no option but to obey the orders.
He further added that the challan and the charge for lifting bikes is Rs 200 each and the total fine amounts to Rs 400.
When questioned, the ASF officials told Pakistan Today that “due to unpleasant incidents at the airport in the past, bikes are no longer allowed”.
They further iterated that the CAA had prevented them from allowing bikes to enter the airport due to “security concerns”.
Manager parking area Sajad while speaking to Pakistan Today said that he does not have a problem with letting bikes being parked in the airport parking as long as extra space for them is provided by the CAA and that ASF allow them to enter.
Talking to Pakistan Today, a CAA spokesperson at the airport said that “ASF does not allow them because of security reasons and they are answerable to Aviation Division, not us.”
However, Aviation Division Spokesperson Khawja Jawad Ahmed said that as far as the matter of bikers parking place is concerned, it comes under the CAA and their spokesperson will be able to “respond better”.
It seems that both the spokespersons tried to shift responsibility onto each other.