Int’l fliers question RT-PCR charges, new 2% testing rule

Int’l fliers question RT-PCR charges, new 2% testing rule

Mehul.Jani@timesgroup.com

Surat:10,12,2021

Despite well-defined SOP issued by the government, the passengers, arriving from countries not in the ‘at risk’ list, who are randomly selected to undergo Covid-19 test are giving a tough time to airport officials.

Apart from “Why only me?” and “Why should I pay for the test?”, the airport officials have got used to international passengers complaining about the long wait they have to endure to get the RT-PCR test results.

Similar scenes were played at the Surat international airport after landing of the Sharjah-Surat in the wee hours of Thursday. Teams of airport staff, airline staff, Surat Municipal Corporation’s health team and laboratory staff were ready to screen the 164 passengers of the flight that landed at around 12.15am. Things were going on smoothly till the airline staff announced the names to 2% passengers, six in case of this flight, who were selected to undergo RT-PCR tests. It was not long before the six passengers — two German passport holders, one woman holding an Australian passport and three Indian citizens — started complaining.

The passengers questioned the logic behind testing just a few passengers. “If the government genuinely wants to check the spread of the new variant, they must check all the passengers, not just 2%,” a passenger said. Another passenger complained about being made to pay for the tests. “The government or the airline should pay for the test,” he reasoned.

The woman with an Australian passport said that she is not from an ‘at risk’ country still she is put through testing. “My kids are suffering as along with me they too have to wait at the airport till the RT-PCR test results arrive,” she said.

As per SOP, travellers are required to pay Rs 2,700 for rapid RT-PCR test, the result of which takes roughly one hour. Passengers can also opt for a regular RT-PCR test that costs Rs 400 but the result of which takes around six hours.

When TOI contacted airport officials for their comments, they said, “We have already discounted our 13% royalty. Many passengers protested about the 2% rule and the RT-PCR charges, but they must understand that we are just implementing the SOPs issued by the government.”