Bengaluru Airport Cab Pickup Zone
To address the growing taxi shortage at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) – a situation exacerbated by the recent departure of electric cab operators BluSmart and Refex eVeelz – ride-hailing company Quick Ride will soon offer commuters a designated pick-up area.
KNM Rao, founder and chief executive officer, stated that Quick Ride has entered into an agreement with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the entity that operates KIA, to offer the new facility.
Rao stated that Quick Ride’s operations would commence within a week, with an initial deployment of over 800 electric cabs. He added that customers would also have the option to book ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles. “Our fares will be competitive,” Rao affirmed, “and we are committed to providing the best ride experience at the most affordable price.”
For easy access, Quick Ride will have designated pick-up bays at both Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 2 (T2). Booking a cab is simple through the Quick Ride app or website.
Founded in Bengaluru in 2015 as a carpooling platform, Quick Ride has grown to encompass taxi services (both local and outstation), rentals, and more.
The upcoming pick-up zone for ride-hailing firm Quick Ride at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) comes at a crucial time. The airport is currently experiencing a shortage of taxis following the abrupt suspension of operations by two electric cab operators, BluSmart and Refex eVeelz, last month. BluSmart’s sudden exit from Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru occurred amidst a probe by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) into its parent company, Gensol Engineering, raising significant concerns about BluSmart’s financial stability and viability. This situation has created a gap in the airport’s transportation services that Quick Ride now aims to fill.
Refex Green Mobility Ltd (RGML), a subsidiary of Refex Industries, has revealed its plan to streamline its Bengaluru presence by phasing out its airport-based EV taxi services, known as Refex EV Fleet Services.
While BluSmart provided its own dedicated pick-up locations, Refex, with its all-electric fleet, integrated its airport taxi services through the Bangalore International Airport Limited’s (BIAL) ‘BLR Pulse’ application.
Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) experienced substantial passenger growth in FY25, handling 41.88 million travelers compared to 37.53 million the previous year. However, this growth has not been matched by adequate cab availability, leading to frequent complaints from passengers about lengthy waits and insufficient numbers of vehicles at the designated Ola and Uber pick-up points. Adding to the challenge, other ride-hailing services such as Rapido, Namma Yatri, and Shoffr do not have designated pick-up zones.