Touts crowd Hyderabad airport, trouble passengers
Passengers at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) are being tricked and overcharged by unauthorised taxi drivers. Many travellers are raising concerns about the unauthorised cabs demanding high fares, taking longer routes and creating a stressful experience, especially at night.
A major factor adding to this issue is that many travellers do not verify the authenticity of the cab or driver before boarding, making them easy targets. A user on ‘X’ platform, shared, “There is a scam going on by this operator choiscabs at the airport. Ended up paying more than what they said initially. I see many complaints against these guys.”
Another frequent complaint revolves around a so-called “local mafia” that prevents app-based cabs like Ola and Uber from accessing pickup locations. These drivers reportedly frighten app-based drivers while misleading passengers about cab availability.
“Need to check the mafia-ism of local taxi drivers. Not allowing Uber cabs to reach the pickup locations. I am told that local taxi drivers aren’t allowed inside. Drivers are roaming near point D, openly telling the passengers that there are no app-based cabs and demanding exorbitant prices,” shared another user.
The passengers have also raised concerns about unauthorised cabs charging unreasonably high rates, often stuffing multiple passengers into one vehicle.
A traveller on ‘X’ platform spoke about how his guest was overcharged and harassed. “Illegal cabs are still operating at the airport. They are charging almost `800 per head and taking 3-4 people per cab. A guest who didn’t know this was illegal used this service and during drop off, the driver started demanding him to pay `400 extra.”
“The driver took a long route, dropping off everybody else first. It should take only 40 minutes to my home from the airport, but the driver took my guest almost 1 hour and 20 minutes,” said Shruti Kannan.
The situation becomes particularly concerning at night when touts are said to operate openly inside the airport premises, misleading passengers into paying inflated rates for unsafe and unauthorised rides.
“Getting Ola Cabs or Uber at Hyderabad Airport is a nightmare at night. There is a local mafia who manages the bookings. How come the touts enter the premises and conduct their business?” Mohan Rao, another user tweeted.
“Unauthorised drivers are operating touting in the Ola zone with the support of Ola employees and managers who are allowing this activity. They accept money for these actions and support them,” shared Eslavath Sudhakar, another user.
The failure of many passengers to verify cab details before boarding is a major reason why these scams are occurring. Travelers often fall prey to unauthorised drivers who take advantage of their urgency or lack of awareness.
“The safety and convenience of our passengers are our top priorities. We regularly use our social media platforms to raise awareness and educate travelers about the risks of using unauthorised cab services. Hyderabad Airport ensures round-the-clock availability of authorised transport options for passengers. These include radio taxis like Meru and Skycabs, app-based services such as Ola and Uber, Rapido and prepaid taxis, car rentals, EV vehicles, Pushpak buses and more,” said an RGIA official.
“To tackle this issue, we have deployed over 31 anti-touting security personnel at key locations across the airport’s landside and, in collaboration with the Telangana Police, introduced a special patrol team to keep unauthorised operators at bay,” she added.
In 2024, 446 touting cases were reported to the RGIA Police Station and Interception teams. Arshad Ali, sub-inspector, RGIA, said they are working on the issue by placing bouncers at key points in the airport. If they find any unauthorised drivers, they immediately take them to the police station, register a case and impose a fine.