Hyderabad: Most motorists going to drop passengers at Shamshabad airport are unaware of or cannot locate the special free parking area provided for them. Any passenger can avail 15 minutes of free parking for those who come to drop passengers and do not wait.
Airport officials reportedly do not want to promote the feature as it can lead to parking issues with motorists overstaying the 15-minute time slot and ending up crowding the place.
According to an airport official, the special free parking area is available close to the ramp leading to the arrivals section of the airport. It can be located after the departure-arrival ramp section, 50 metres ahead on the right hand side.
Around 100 vehicles can be parked in the lot. It is meant for motorists who leave quickly after dropping or picking up passengers. The area is actually meant for crew members and private vehicle can be parked.
“We don’t want to promote it because people will park unnecessarily and that will in turn lead to a lot of issues,” an official said.
He added, “Special free parking is meant for the convenience of passengers. They should have a valid reason to park. It is basically to decongest the arrival ramp.” This is separate from the other parking lots for private vehicles and cabs.
Mr Shaik Salaluddin, president of the Four Wheelers Association, said, “There is no free parking given to private vehicles. Everything is digitised. If a four-wheeler enters the premises we are given slip and the driver is charged while leaving the premises.
