No proper designated area for smoking, outside or inside the Mumbai airport terminal, has left passengers and visitors confused.
While Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) says that smoking is not allowed inside the terminal, the cops are imposing fine on those who are spotted smoking outside the terminal or airport premises. On Monday, the Santa Cruz airport police fined Ahmed Pathan for smoking at the arrival gate of terminal 1A. Pathan had a cigarette from the stall which is just outside the arrival gate when he was asked to pay Rs. 200 as fine.
According to MIAL, the no-smoking ban is applicable on the internal side of the airport only. "The airport terminal buildings in Mumbai are already no smoking zones," said the spokesperson for MIAL. Vincent Nazareth, a member of Crusade Against Tobacco, had asked the cops at Santa Cruz airport police station to put up signboards at the airport. "Why is there a stall selling cigarettes in the terminal's building when smoking is banned?" he asked?
This has literally left passengers like Abdul Latif, who travels all over the world, perplexed. "We respect the law but some provision should be made," he said. Raj Choudhary from the Merchant Navy found a way out. "I smoked in my car in the parking lot," he said.
"There has to be a smoking Lounge at the departure areas of the airport," said Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passenger Association of India. "We will take up this matter with MIAL," he said.
