Pune: Come December, vehicles entering the airport premises to drop or pick up passengers will have to leave within 15 minutes or pay a fine of Rs500.AeroMall authorities will strictly enforce the time-bound entry system after a month-long awareness drive. Y S Rajput, vice-president of AeroMall, said vehicle owners would be warned through November. No fine would be imposed during this period, he said.“The airport authorities have notified the rule recently. No vehicle will be allowed to stay beyond the stipulated 15 minutes. No one flouting the norm will be spared,” Rajput told TOI.Regular flyers stressed that the norm’s enforcement must be uniform. “We often see vehicles, including those bearing govt registration plates, standing in the arrival area for long periods. No one asks them to move. This creates considerable congestion, especially in the evenings. The rule should apply equally to everyone,” said business professional Prakash Singh, a resident of Bavdhan.Two screens would be installed in the airport’s departure area by next week to display images of overstaying vehicles. The move is aimed at discouraging motorists from waiting near the terminal, particularly during the evening peak hours.“Allowing 15 minutes to enter and exit the airport is adequate. Motorists should try to leave as soon as passengers have been dropped off or picked up. Vehicles lingering near the terminal create congestion and make the entire area chaotic,” Rajput said.The time-bound entry system will be enforced through the network of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras installed across the airport. These will capture a vehicle’s image and registration number at the entry point and record its exit time. If its stay exceeds the permitted duration, the boom barrier at the exit will remain closed until the Rs500 fine is paid.Officials said the time-bound entry system was necessary because some motorists loitered in the arrival and departure areas long after dropping off or before picking up passengers. “Many prefer to wait in the departure area until their relatives complete the check-in and security formalities. Some arrive to pick up passengers well before their flights land. These vehicles turn the situation chaotic near the terminal.”Passengers being dropped off can be given more time by using the parking facility at AeroMall, particularly when accompanying senior citizens or those with mobility issues. Officials said motorists should use the designated parking area rather than occupying the terminal approach roads.Pune airport handles an average of 15,000 arriving and 15,000 departing passengers daily. During evening hours, private vehicles are often seen lined up along Airport Road and New Airport Road. “It is surprising that many motorists do not use the AeroMall parking facility. They own expensive vehicles but do not want to pay parking charges,” another airport official said.
