Deepak Gosai, a resident of Delhi, recently shared a shocking experience on social media. He had parked his car in the Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) facility of Terminal 3 at Delhi airport, on August 17th. Upon returning on 26th, he was greeted with a staggering parking bill of Rs 5,770! The bill included a hefty parking fee of Rs 4,889.83 and an additional Rs 880.17 in GST. To put this into perspective, a round-trip flight from Delhi to Lucknow on Air India Express would have costed you Rs 5,672 on September 3rd! Still less than Deepak’s parking bill…
Later in time, Deepak found out that his car had encountered notable damages- gate lock was broken, and there were multiple scratches on it. He tried to complain but found the parking staff to be unresponsive. They had already collected their fees by the time and allegedly paid no attention to the unhappy owner.
Angry and ignored, Deepak took to the social media platform X (previously Twitter) and voiced his concerns, explaining the experience in detail. He posted a video showing the parking bill that reads a total amount of Rs 5770. It further shows the broken lock gate of the vehicle’s pull-type door handle. Sharp scratches can also be seen on the left rear fender. The car involved is a Skoda Octavia VRS.
it was the worst experience I’ve ever had🙃
Thr tagline is “safe and secure” bullshit@DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/AORaE1Z6pp— Deepak gosain📈 (@tradeinn_) August 26, 2024
Parking At Delhi Airport: Let’s Debunk!
Parking at the T3 lot, for the first 30 minutes would cost you Rs 120, the next 30 minutes would be Rs 170, and subsequent hours would cost Rs 100 each for the first five hours. If parked for more than five hours, the rate is Rs 600 per 24-hour period. Most international airports in India have comparable parking charges.
This tariff is clearly displayed in most places as well. If you choose to park there, you’re agreeing to these terms and tariff. Complaining over the bill after having left the car parked for six days, thus, makes little sense. It will also be difficult to call the rates unfair, as long as they are intimated to the customer before entering the lot.
What is alarming though, is the damage incurred to the vehicle. The lock gate damage, as seen in the video, gives us in the impression that someone might have tried to break in. The scratches too, seem to be intentional. These make us suspect the safety and security offered by the paid parking at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
When you are being charged (especially sums so big) for parking, the staff there are responsible for keeping a watch on the vehicle and ensuring its safety and security at all times. These should be ensured regardless of how populated the lot is at any point in time. Installing and operating more surveillance cameras and employing more manpower to assist and supervise parking can be of help.
High cost of parking isn’t new
Recently, another picture became viral, showing a hourly parking fee of Rs. 1,000. The picture indicated the price of a premium parking slot at Bengaluru’s swish UB City – a mall that hosts top fashion and lifestyle brands. And these exorbitant parking charges aren’t even new. They have been around for years now. Click here to read more.