Pune Airport Taxi Passengers ‘Being Overcharged by Lakhs Daily’; Raju Shetti Shares Personal Experience

Pune, 2nd September 2026: Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana founder-president and former MP Raju Shetti has alleged that passengers at Pune Airport are collectively being overcharged to the tune of Rs 12–15 lakh every day. Shetti said he personally experienced what he described as an unfair system after arriving at Pune Airport and detailed his observations in a social media post.

In his post on Wednesday, Shetti alleged that passengers are being exploited through charges imposed at Pune’s Sant Tukaram Maharaj Lohgaon Airport. According to him, more than 30,000 passengers travel through the airport every day.

He claimed that when Ola, Uber and other taxi services enter the airport premises to pick up passengers, vehicle operators are charged an entry or terminal fee ranging from approximately Rs 200 to Rs 300.

Sharing his personal experience, Shetti said he arrived at Pune Airport from Delhi at around 2 am on Tuesday night. He claimed that the online fare displayed for travel from Pune Airport to the government rest house was around Rs 350–375. However, he alleged that the fare increased to Rs 650 when the pickup was arranged directly from the airport gate through Ola, Uber or other taxi services.

Shetti said that upon seeking information at the airport, he learned that a fee is charged when app-based cabs or other taxis pick up passengers from the airport terminal. He further claimed that passengers wishing to avoid the additional charge and travel at a lower fare are required to walk to AeroMall, located around 600 metres away from the airport.

Explaining the fare breakup of his journey, Shetti said that of the total Rs 650 charged, approximately Rs 375 was the base fare for the taxi company, while Rs 275 was allegedly charged as a terminal fee.

He further pointed out that taxi aggregators such as Ola and Uber deduct around 25–30 per cent commission from the Rs 375 base fare, amounting to approximately Rs 100–125. According to Shetti, this leaves the taxi operator with only Rs 250–275, from which fuel expenses of around Rs 80–100 must be deducted.

“After accounting for vehicle maintenance, loan instalments, interest payments and the driver’s income, one wonders how such a business can remain financially viable despite drivers working day and night,” Shetti said.

Shetti alleged that while airport authorities collect around Rs 275 as terminal charges per passenger and app-based taxi companies take commissions ranging from 25–30 per cent, taxi operators remain neglected.

He claimed that around 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles pick up passengers from Pune Airport every day. Based on this estimate, Shetti alleged that passengers are collectively being charged an additional Rs 12–15 lakh every day.

He also made serious allegations regarding the contracts associated with the system, claiming that several influential political leaders, ministers, public representatives and officials were involved. However, these allegations have not been independently verified.

Shetti further questioned the situation at an airport located in the constituency of Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, saying that if such conditions exist at Pune Airport, authorities should examine the situation at airports across the country.

In a strongly worded criticism, Shetti alleged that people in power were allowing the public, passengers and taxi operators to be openly exploited through private contractual arrangements. He tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol and several others while sharing his post on social media.