Mumbai: Entry fee of Rs 50 for cabs at Kurla LTT sparks protest

The decision to levy access and parking charges for vehicles entering the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) has not gone down well with the kaali peeli cabbies, as they staged a protest against it along with some commuters at the station on Monday. In an attempt to streamline traffic at the LTT and avoid misuse of space, as taxis used to be parked for hours at some of the prime locations of the station denying space to commuter vehicles, the railways has levied a Rs 50 charge for over five minutes of wait inside the station.

We have to pay Rs 50 to the railways just to enter the station premises," said commuter Deepesh Gada. Another commuter Badrinarayan said, "Charging access fee at stations is not fair.

Earlier, taxis used to be parked at the circulating area of the station for hours, denying space to commuter vehicles

People from different sections of society visit stations." The taxi drivers who organised the protest said railways should consult the RTO before levying such charges.

A large number of taxi operators gathered at LTT Kurla on Saturday to oppose the entry charge. The amount is being collected by the CR Pay & Park.

"The said amount is collected in advance at the entry point. The railway authorities have not consulted the RTO or unions. After the protest on Saturday, I led a group of taximen and we met Station Director SD Gupta. We have demanded withdrawal of the illegal entry charge and suggested identifying passenger drop-off points near the entrance. It was agreed that a joint meeting will be held between the railways, RTO and traffic police to identify the drop-off points," said Mumbai Taximen Union General Secretary, Anthony L Quadros.

A receipt of the entry fee at LTT

A senior railway official said, "The charges have been levied to regulate vehicle movement and prevent unauthorised parking of vehicles for too long at the station premises. The entry charge is for vehicles that wait at the station premises beyond five minutes." Officials said that there is no charge for the first five minutes, but Rs 50 will be charged for 5-15 minutes, R200 for 15-30 minutes and Rs 1,000 for 30 minutes and more.

The official further explained, "At the entry gate passengers have the option to get either an access control ticket or parking ticket, and accordingly, vehicles are allowed to move in the required lane."

Speaking to mid-day, Central Railway Chief Public Relations officer, Shivaji Sutar said that a joint meeting has been planned to streamline the issue. "Taxis and autos used to be parked at the circulating area of the station for hours. Many stations across the country are charging fees for safety, security and identification of vehicles,"
he added.