Pune Airport Taxi Charges: Raju Shetti Alleges Passengers Made to Pay Extra Rs 200-300 Over Pickup Charges, Demands Probe

Pune, 3rd September 2026: Alleging that passengers arriving at Pune International Airport are being made to pay an additional Rs 200 to Rs 300 per vehicle in the name of “pickup” charges, former MP and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti has demanded an inquiry into the system.

Shetti claimed that around 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles pick up passengers from the airport every day and that the additional charges could translate into a collection of nearly Rs 15 lakh daily. He alleged that the money does not reach taxi drivers but is collected by contractors, some of whom, he claimed, have political connections.

“This is nothing short of looting passengers arriving at the airport. The money collected does not go to cab drivers; it goes to contractors,” Shetti said in a statement shared on social media.

He also alleged that taxi operators deduct a 25 to 30 per cent commission from drivers’ earnings. After fuel, maintenance and other expenses are taken into account, drivers are left with only a small portion of the fare, he claimed.

Shetti cited his own experience at Pune Airport to question the prevailing system. He said he arrived from Delhi at around 2 am and booked a taxi. According to him, the prepaid taxi counter inside the airport displayed a fare of around Rs 350 to Rs 375 for his destination.

However, he alleged that passengers are effectively pushed towards taxis operating outside the airport premises. He said a taxi from the airport gate to Atlas was quoted at Rs 650, while drivers reportedly claimed that the official airport fare was Rs 295.

Passengers seeking to avoid the higher fare are directed to Aeromall, around 600 metres from the airport, to board a taxi, Shetti said. He questioned the practicality of the arrangement, particularly for passengers carrying luggage and arriving late at night.

Shetti alleged that similar contractor-based arrangements exist for different categories of services and claimed that some contractors have political links. He demanded that the authorities examine the entire fee structure at Pune Airport and identify who benefits from the additional charges.

He also called for a wider inquiry into similar practices at airports across the country, alleging a possible conflict of interest involving ministers, legislators and officials.

Shetti said the objective of the inquiry should be to ensure that passengers are not subjected to arbitrary or additional charges and that taxi drivers are not unfairly burdened by commissions and operating costs.