Air Travellers Decry High Cost of Using Trolleys at Airports

Air travellers in Nigeria have criticized  the high cost of using some facilities at the nation’s airports, describing payment for using facilities like trolleys as clear exploitation.

In a nationwide survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the travellers queried the high cost of some facilities provided at the Nigerian airports, ranging from parking vehicles to other sundry services.

They wondered why users of items such as trolleys still had to pay to use the facility, arguing that use of such facilities had been built into air tickets.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja some of the travellers said they paid between N150 to N400 to use trolleys that ought to be provided free.

A traveller at the local wing of the airport, Mr Hakeen Adebola, told NAN that he resorted to dragging his luggage, instead of paying a huge amount demanded by an airport official for him to use trolleys.

He argued that it was wrong for government to allow private firms to extort money from air travellers, pointing out that use of trolleys was free in other countries around the globe, and so many other travellers complained about the same issue.

A check by at the premier Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, showed that a big trolley is rented at a cost of N2, 500; while a small one goes for N1.600.

Using the trolley also attracts a service charge of N150, which excludes `tips’ usually demanded by porters conveying luggage for travellers.

The scenario often casts a nasty picture at the airports, questioning the contract signed between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Skyblue Aviation Services Ltd on trolley services at the airport.

According to information on the website of Skyblue Aviation Services, they currently have 220 members of staff and 2, 250 trolleys for travellers at the Lagos airport.

A staff of the company, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said the trolley charges were fixed to enable the company provide world-class services to air travelers.

At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, an official told NAN that the management of the airport was not aware of any service charge by porters at the airport.

The official, who pleaded for anonymity, explained that porters at the airport relied on whatever they got from travellers to maintain the trolleys and make their living.

He described maintenance of the trolleys as a big issue, saying that it was difficult for FAAN to provide enough trolleys at the airport to ease the hardship of travellers.

But the President of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Mr Benjamin Okewu, told the management of FAAN to consider reducing the trolley charges.

However, Mr Lucky Izevbokun, Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees, Lagos State Chapter, argued that charging for using the trolleys was not convenient for travellers.

“FAAN is generating revenue from the concessionaire on trolley service at the detriment of air passengers using the item to convey their luggage.

Similarly, an aviation expert, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, said that trolley services at the airports should be part of the perks to be given to travellers.

A tour operator, Miss Lorreta Ogwu, noted that air travellers were supposed to use the trolleys, saying that free access to the trolleys had been denied because of the concession agreement between FAAN and Skyblue Services.

A businessman, Mr Ikechukwu Usali, said that although the trolley service made travelling convenient, many travellers avoided it because of high charges.

A top-level official of FAAN, who pleaded anonymity, said  that the payment for trolleys was instituted during the tenure of a former Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah.

The official explained that the ministry during Oduah’s tenure, signed a concession agreement with a company called “Jace Darl Trolley Services’’ to undertake trolley services at the airport.

“That is why travellers pay for the use of trolleys now and the amount is N150 for those who want to push it themselves and N400 for those who prefer the company’s staff to push for them.

“The immediate past Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka, had directed that the concession agreement should be discontinued at its expiration to enable the passengers to use trolleys free.

“Now that we have a new government, we don’t know whether Chidoka’s directive will still work or not,’’ the official added.

The official also disclosed that a church in Abuja, known as “Family Worship Centre’’ had donated a number of trolleys to the airport for travellers to use free.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has given his assurance that payment for the use of trolleys at the nation’s airports would stop as soon as the current contract agreement expired.

Sirika explained that the arrangement could not be stopped immediately as it could lead to litigations, adding that the contract would not be reviewed as soon as it ended.

According to him, some travellers have petitioned the ministry over the issue, insisting that the cost of usage of trolleys is covered by certain taxes and charges paid by passengers.

“We have had discussions with FAAN on this and we have decided that as soon as this contract ends, we will return to the old system,’’ he said.