Airport cab drivers rue lack of basic facilities

Rajendernagar: Despite being known as the most sophisticated, technology-enabled and passenger friendly airway in the country, Shamshabad International Airport falls short of providing decent facilities to its employees and cab drivers. Lack of proper shed for thousands of taxis and cabs that provide round the clock transport services to the passengers is one such issue.

During the Ramzan seasonRamzan season, nearly 500 to 1,000 muslims gather at one place to offer Friday prayers every week and hundreds of passengers and other staff join them, but due to the absence of a proper shed, which apparently not been allowed by the Airport authorities, they were forced to offer prayers under extreme temperatures.

Upon representing the issue to the authorities on more than one occasion, they have given permission to erect a few tents, but restricting it only to the month of Ramzan, living the real issue unresolved.

Incensed with the denial of proper safety measures on the airport premises, the cab drivers threatened to protest if the authorities fail to provide the required facilities in the next 15 days. The drivers are demanding the GMR authorities to allow a permanent shed, besides a canteen, emergency medical facility and restroom on the premises in the larger interest of the employees.

"All the Employees at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and the taxi and cab drivers working with GMR Company are facing issues related to non-availability of a proper shed, canteen, emergency medical facility and restrooms on the premises.

Though the management left no stone unturned to portray the airport and its throughput into good light with their claims of having end-to-end technology enabled facilities and customer friendly services, the fact remains that the drivers are working under extremely pathetic conditions," bemoaned Shaik Salauddin, chairman at Telangana Taxi and Drivers Joint Action Committee.

"The prevailing heat waves add more to their woes. Though the cab drivers brave the blazing sun just to offer their services to those thousands of travelers landing all the time at the airport, they are not able to protect their vehicles from extreme temperatures," he said.

When the temperatures reach to a crescendo during the midst of the summer, the drivers and their vehicles feel the impact of scorching heat, but the alleged apathy on the part of officials concerned remain so. They said they are serving people at the expense of their health and wealth.

It is said that winds of adversity caught them unaware when the rain lashed the city where their vehicles drift like a boat with the heavy gust and showering of hailstorms.

Incidents of stroke, dehydration and other emergencies took place, but the drivers are left to their mercy, as there are no emergency facilities on the airport premises to protect them from any life-threatening issues. In such cases, the drivers could only shift their fellow driver to the nearby hospital, which is 8 km away from the airport, he said.

"The drivers left no stone unturned to bring the attention of the authorities concerned, but since many years the situation remains the same and no one has yet paid any heed to our woes and sorrows. We fail to comprehend the apathy on part of officials," he added.

"We are even deprived of offering prayers under a roof. There is no shed on the premises. We face many difficulties to offer prayers during the Holy month of Ramzan. The drivers are forced to offer prayers under the blazing sun," the drivers said.