4 Jun 2024
Currently, Uber charges ₹187 per trip, Ola charges ₹172, and BluSmart ₹218. These airport fees will increase by 30-40% in a few weeks.
Airports charge ride-hailing apps a fee for using the airport infrastructure, which is passed on to passengers. Ola, Uber, and BluSmart’s agreements with Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) are set for renewal, and the airport operator is expected to hike this fee by up to 40% in the next few weeks.
The agreement gives ride-hailing apps dedicated pick-up zones and free parking for a period. The airport fee is negotiated based on the number of rides a company makes.
Up to 75% of rides from Bengaluru airport are taken by Ola, BluSmart, and Uber. The rest are taken by inDrive, Shoffr, and others without an agreement with BIAL. Mega Cabs, Carzonrent, WTI Cabs, and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation have concessionaire agreements with BIAL.
Following protests from drivers and passengers, BIAL recently scrapped the new pricing policy charging commercial and private drivers a fee to enter the airport premises.