Chennai autos offer locker service near US consulate, charge Rs 2,000 per visa applicant
Besides the stress of clearing the difficult US visa interview, applicants have to also bear the trauma of trusting strangers.
A visa applicant looks for an auto to leave his belongings, behind the consulate at Avvai Shanmugham Salai
CHENNAI: Visa applicants visiting US consulate general in Chennai are greeted by a different kind of 'entrepreneurs' – auto drivers who are parked in the stand behind the consulate, charging a minimum of Rs 2,000 to hold on to their valuables while they attend the visa interview inside.
Besides the stress of clearing the difficult US visa interview, applicants have to also bear the trauma of trusting strangers. Applicants also come from other states and search for locker facilities, but are left without a choice and forced to rely on strangers keen to make a quick buck.
"When we reached the consulate, auto drivers there tried convincing us to leave our bags with them, ensuring it would be safe and demanded Rs 2,000. As I didn't have a choice, I left my valuables – including phones, money and other belongings – with them. After the interview, they demanded Rs 3,000 but I bargained the deal for Rs 2,000. There already were several bags inside the parked auto," recalled Tijo Mathew (name changed), an applicant from Kerala who visited the consulate recently.
"Officials concerned must provide locker facilities for visitors. Like outside the Hyderabad US consulate, where small private players offer locker facilities outside the consulate for a nominal fee of Rs 200. Because of the lack of legitimate locker services, visitors here are forced to pay astronomical fees to secure their belongings," Tijo added.
When contacted, Thousand Lights MLA, N Ezhilan, said, "When an institution is functional, it is their responsibility to provide visitors with all facilities. I will bring this issue to the notice of the US Consulate General.”
When DT Next visited the area outside the consulate on Thursday morning, there was a long queue of visa applicants. When enquired about any locker facility nearby, some local auto drivers directed this correspondent to the next street.
There, parked autorickshaws function as day lockers. Once you reach a deal and hand over your belongings, an auto driver notes down the details of the visitor and the baggage.
"We are here till 5 pm and valuables are safe with us, there is nothing to worry about," a couple of auto drivers told DT Next. When this reporter spoke to a visa applicant, he seemed confused about leaving his belongings with total strangers and an unsafe situation.