Ahmedabad: A scuffle broke out late on Monday night between airport security officials and autorickshaw drivers outside the domestic arrivals terminal of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in the city. What began as an exchange of arguments around 10.30pm took an ugly turn, leading to chaotic scenes that lasted nearly an hour.
The confrontation began when the security officials attempted to stop autorickshaw drivers and cab operators from soliciting passengers and touting for business. Airport sources told TOI that some of the drivers retaliated by hurling abuses and shoving the security personnel.
“In the late hours of Jan 6, 2025, touts and transport providers created a ruckus at the arrivals area of SVPI airport, leading to physical altercations and injuries. The airport team is working with the authorities to investigate and address the incident. Airport operations remain unaffected. The safety of passengers and stakeholders continues to be our top priority,” said an SVPI airport spokesperson.
According to sources, touting is a persistent issue at the airport and often leads to friction between security personnel and cabbies and autorickshaw drivers. The security agencies hired by the airport operator promptly filed a formal complaint against the drivers at the SVPI airport police station.
With the situation escalating, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was called in to restore order. A cab driver, Navin Harvani, also filed a counter-complaint alleging that a security guard at the airport hit him on his head with a pipe, causing him to bleed from his mouth. The complaint further stated that at least five autorickshaw drivers were also attacked by security personnel during the altercation.
The city airport operator has been struggling to handle the menace of touting and is seeking stringent regulations to prevent inconvenience to passengers.
“In the past, four FIRs were lodged by security agencies in addition to 50 complaints over the issue of touting,” a source said.
The govts in Delhi and Maharashtra introduced anti-touting laws at least 10-15 years ago in their respective states to curb the menace of touting at the airports.
According to sources privy to the development, “The Ahmedabad airport authority has already made six representations before the state govt in the past, seeking an anti-touting law in Gujarat. The issue has also been raised repeatedly during the internal committee meetings at the airport,” a source said.
Sources told TOI that in the absence of a law in place to prevent such touts from soliciting passengers, it is difficult for police to take action.