Ban unauthorised taxis from Chennai airport now, urge prepaid taxi drivers

CHENNAI: Prepaid taxi drivers staged a sudden protest at the city airport premises on Saturday, demanding an immediate ban on unlicensed white-board private cars allegedly entering the airport and illegally picking up passengers.

According to the prepaid taxi drivers' association, the unauthorised vehicles do not comply with Tamil Nadu Transport Department rules and slip past airport security. Over 300 government-authorised prepaid taxis have been operating at the city airport since 1989.

However, drivers complain that the situation has worsened in recent months, with several white-board vehicles barred from undertaking commercial trips.

The prepaid taxi drivers alleged that passengers have been overcharged, left without safety assurances, and sometimes faced disputes upon arrival at their destinations. They claimed that no action had been taken, despite repeated complaints to the police and transport officials.

Frustrated by the lack of response, nearly 100 prepaid taxi drivers gathered and staged a roadblock protest inside the domestic terminal area, disrupting normal movement and drawing public attention. On information, the airport police rushed to the spot and held a peace talk with the protestors. Representatives of the prepaid taxi union said that illegal white-board taxis were hurting both their livelihood and the reputation of authorised services. They insisted that strict enforcement and immediate action must be taken against them.

The police promised to look into the issue and take appropriate action in the coming days, and following the assurance, the drivers dispersed.