It takes 12 minutes to fly from Salisalla to Simkot on a helicopter; and costs Rs. 18,000. That amounts to around Rs. 1,500 per minute which is “an exorbitant and undue amount fixed arbitrarily by the helicopter companies,” said Shiva Raj Sharma, chief of the District Coordination Committee.
Sharma recently flew the aforementioned route and complained that the amount charged was unjust. “The passengers are not provided any information about the fare and the companies fix the rates on their own,” he criticised.
Meanwhile, it takes less than 11 minutes to fly from Sarkegad to Simkot. Yet, helicopter flyers still charge Rs. 18,000.
“This is a travesty and authorities should take stern action against the companies,” Sharma stated, adding, “The choppers charge extremely high prices for very short routes. The local administration should look into the matter.”
Helicopter companies, however, claim that their fare is based on calculations and are a result of high operational costs.
Source : TRN,
