In a significant policy reversal, the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru has extended the free parking duration at its Terminal 1 arrival pick-up zones. This decision comes after intense public backlash and protests from taxi drivers against a recently implemented restrictive parking regime.
Policy U-Turn After Public and Driver Protests
The Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) officially announced the revision on Friday, December 26, 2025. The new policy increases the free parking window at the Terminal 1 arrival pick-up areas, specifically zones P3 and P4, from the contentious eight minutes to fifteen minutes. This change is a direct response to the widespread criticism that erupted after BIAL's new parking rules were rolled out on December 12, 2025.
The initial policy had sparked immediate outrage, particularly among commercial vehicle operators like taxi drivers. The protests escalated to a blockade of the Sadahalli toll gate on the airport approach road. Drivers argued that the eight-minute free window was impractical for a major international hub, where delays from security checks, baggage claim, and passenger disorientation are common.
What Was the Controversial Original Policy?
The parking policy introduced in mid-December brought stringent changes to manage congestion. For private vehicles, free curb-side access at arrival zones was limited to just eight minutes. Exceeding this time triggered heavy penalties:
- A fine of Rs 150 for stays between 8 to 13 minutes.
- A fine of Rs 300 for stays between 13 to 18 minutes.
- Vehicles parked beyond 18 minutes risked being towed to a police station with additional charges.
The impact was most severe on commercial vehicles, including yellow-board taxis and electric cabs. They were barred from waiting at the terminal curb entirely and redirected to designated parking zones (P3/P4), where only the first 10 minutes were free. This led to passengers facing long walks—sometimes over a kilometre—from the arrival halls to reach their pre-booked cabs, causing major inconvenience.
Enhanced Amenities and Airport's Rationale
Alongside the extended free parking, BIAL has introduced additional measures to improve passenger experience. The airport will now deploy shuttles every seven minutes, along with six cars and ten buggies, to ferry passengers between the P3/P4 parking areas and the terminal buildings.
In its statement, BIAL framed the original changes and subsequent adjustments as part of its commitment to enhancing passenger experience and ensuring safety. The airport authority cited rising passenger numbers and heavy vehicle movement as reasons for needing stricter rules to prevent curb-side congestion, unsafe halts, and chaotic traffic flow near the terminals.
The clarified pick-up procedure remains: private vehicles use the dedicated lane for curb-side pick-up at Terminal 1, while airport-authorised cabs use designated cab zones. Non-authorised cabs must continue to operate from the P3 and P4 parking zones.
This episode highlights the challenges of managing infrastructure at one of India's busiest airports and demonstrates how passenger and stakeholder feedback can lead to operational revisions. The extension to 15 minutes offers a more realistic grace period for smoother passenger pick-ups.
