Saturday, September 21, 2024 Great news for travelers at Kolkata Airport! The long-awaited paid porter service is finally set to be launched, with at least two agencies submitting bids in response to the tender issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). According to airport sources, agencies from Delhi and Mumbai have expressed interest in operating this service in Kolkata. Efforts to reinstate the paid porter service, which was discontinued in 2019, have been ongoing since January, but previous tenders failed to attract any bidders.
Before the suspension, porters charged a fee of Rs 300 to assist passengers by transporting their luggage to the baggage scanner. They also helped arriving passengers with tasks such as calling cabs or booking hotels. The new tender proposes an increased end-to-end porterage fee of Rs 500 per passenger.
This service aims to assist elderly passengers, families, and anyone in need of help, by offering assistance with luggage transport to the check-in counter during departures or retrieving it from the baggage belt on arrival, for a fee. The service was previously halted due to passenger complaints of scams involving trolley retrievers who impersonated legitimate airport staff. Many passengers, particularly the elderly, those with limited mobility, and mothers traveling with children, have expressed a strong desire for the service to be reinstated, as have business travelers.
An airport official mentioned that the agencies will offer a range o.