T’puram: LDF opposition in the city corporation has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the steep hike in parking and entry fees at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, alleging that the airport operator was exploiting ordinary passengers and their families through excessive charges.In a statement issued on Monday, LDF parliamentary leader S P Deepak said the revised rates, which came into effect on Oct 1, had significantly increased the financial burden on people dropping off or picking up passengers. He said the reduction in free entry time and the steep increase in parking charges had forced people to pay even for brief visits to the airport.Under the revised rates, private cars are allowed eight minutes of free parking, after which charges go up to Rs 150 for 30 minutes and Rs 200 for an hour. The 24-hour parking fee has been fixed at Rs 1,000. For two-wheelers, the 24-hour charge has doubled from Rs 150 to Rs 300.Deepak also criticised the user development fee (UDF) levied on passengers, which he said stood at Rs 1,200 for departing passengers and Rs 650 for arriving passengers. The additional charges, over and above airfares, were making air travel increasingly expensive for ordinary people, he said.Questioning the silence of the state govt and elected representatives, including transport minister and MLA C P John and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, Deepak demanded their intervention to ensure affordable airport access.He argued that the airport had been developed using public resources, including land acquired by the state govt, and said its privatisation had enabled a private operator to impose excessive charges. The LDF called for restoring reasonable parking rates, extending the free entry period and reducing passenger fees.
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