The residents of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday demanded of the authorities concerned to bring an end to car parking and collection of entry fee at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority-hired contractor imposes a parking fee of over Rs 40 from every visitor for three hours and would charge extra money in case he gets late, said Baqir Sajjad talking to APP. He said that the CAA was charging entry fee without providing any additional facility to visitors, adding that the administrations of other airports in the country charge no such fee.
Another visitor, Tanveer said that the authority was unlawfully collecting Rs20 to Rs40 on account of entry fee from the people.
He said that the management of the airport was collecting Rs40 from each vehicle but not providing security of the vehicles, adding that unfortunately the authority has clearly written on the token that every person is responsible for his own vehicle in case of theft and damage. He termed the entry fee "levied on all persons" entering the airport unjustified but the airport management is not willing to end this.
Muhammad Aslam, talking to APP said that the people who came to the airport to drop their dear ones were being charged Rs20 to Rs40 whereas the cars belonging to the government or lawmakers were allowed entry without any charges.
He demanded of the CAA to direct its contractor not to collect the airport entry and car parking fee from the people.
An official of the CAA, told APP that the authority imposed entry tickets to lessen the growing number of visitors as there was not enough space to house them. He said they had advertised in newspapers requesting passengers not to bring "many visitors" along, but added "all our efforts went in vain". He said the entry fee led to 20 percent decline in number of people visiting the airport. According to him, overcrowding was also posing security threats.
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