Bhubaneswar, March 31: Biju Patnaik Airport has a brand new terminal (T1) but not a pre-paid taxi service.

N. Mishra, 62, who arrived at the city airport on Saturday, found that the car rental service available inside the lounge would charge Rs 850 to drop him near the regional passport office at Nayapalli, just 7km from the terminal.

When he told them that he was a resident of Bhubaneswar, the car operator revised the fare to Rs 750. Mishra walked out of the airport and took a local taxi for Rs 300. Manisha Singh, 22, who landed here today, said: “Charging Rs 300 for a local trip in a small city like Bhubaneswar is too much.

There should be a pre-paid autorickshaw service so that travellers can choose according to their budget.’’

Airport director Sharad Kumar admitted that the car service at the arrival lounge was not a pre-paid one.

“The car rental service is a Delhi-based company that supplies vehicles at various airports for use-on-payment basis. The tendering process for the pre-paid taxi service is in process, but we can start it once the state government gives us the nod regarding the rate chart and police personnel to be deployed at the pre-paid booths,’’ he said, adding that the state government had constituted a committee to look after the pre-paid taxi issue since the rate chart and police deployment was its responsibility.

D.K. Samal, president of Lingaraj Taxi Owners’ Union at the city airport, said: “We have been operating at this airport for 25 years, but are yet to get a proper space...We had also applied for the pre-paid taxi tender, but it is still pending with the AAI.’’

He said the car service provider, which had got the chance to operate from the arrival lounge, was charging more than the double the fare of local taxis. People often hire their cars for trips to Puri, Cuttack and Khurda.

“Under the leadership of the local deputy commissioner of police, a team has been formed to devise a formula for a prepaid autorickshaw service at the airport. The regional transport officer of the city will provide the rate chart for the fixed tariff,” G. Mathivathanan, chairman-cum-managing director of Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited, who is the nodal officer for the development of the civil aviation sector in the state, told The Telegraph.

He said the pre-paid taxi service would follow the introduction of prepaid autorickshaws.

“The state government will also take steps to include the city bus link to the new terminal,’’ he said.