MLC Ivan D’Souza Demands Withdrawal of Entry Fee and Fine Charged on Tourist Taxis at Mangaluru Airport

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Mangaluru : Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Ivan D’Souza strongly opposed the practice of collecting a Rs 50 entry fee from tourist taxi drivers entering the Mangaluru International Airport premises to drop off or pick up passengers. Speaking at a meeting convened with airport authorities, he highlighted that imposing such a fee exclusively on commercial tourist vehicles while exempting private cars is discriminatory and unjustifiable. He questioned why such rules are being enforced in Mangaluru when Bengaluru airport does not charge similar entry fees.

Urging the authorities to immediately scrap the Rs 50 fee, Ivan D’Souza warned that it poses an unnecessary financial burden on taxi drivers and amounts to extortion. He cautioned that if the fee structure is not withdrawn promptly, he would lead a widespread protest along with local tourist taxi drivers. During the meeting, taxi operators also voiced strong objections against the Rs 300 penalty imposed on vehicles staying beyond 30 minutes inside the airport. They explained that delays are often caused by unavoidable traffic congestion within the complex, making the fine extremely unfair and heavy on drivers.

Responding to the grievances, Kishore Alva, Executive Director of Adani Group, assured that the issue would be brought to the notice of higher authorities for a favorable resolution. He noted that local tourist taxi operators consistently support airport operations, and addressing their genuine concerns remains a top priority. Mangaluru International Airport CEO Binnu Varghese stated that if taxi operators cooperate with the administration, additional facilities and better infrastructure would be provided to them in the coming days.

HR Head Ravi assured that concrete steps would be taken within a week to resolve these issues. Following the assurances from Kishore Alva and the intervention led by Ivan D’Souza, it was decided to submit a formal representation to higher officials to revise the rules. The Tourist Taxi Drivers’ Association expressed gratitude to Ivan D’Souza and the airport management. The meeting was attended by Airport CEO Binnu Varghese, HR Ravi, alongside Tourist Drivers’ Association leaders Harishchandra, Shubhakara Shetty, Abel D’Souza, Ramesh, Roshan, Dinesh Kankanady, Satish Dayananda Salian, and other association members.