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Black and yellow taxis or kaali peelis, one of the symbols of Mumbai, could completely disappear from the city if their numbers dwindle. And the new vehicle scrapping policy, which prompts citizens to scrap light vehicles over 20 and 15, has pushed the kaali peelis to the brink.
The reverse side of the envelope calculations suggests that with the policy in place, 25% of black and yellow taxis will leave the roads.
According to taxi unions, there are 20,000 kaali peelis on the roads, although 36,000 taxis are still registered with RTOs. Once the age of the vehicles is lowered to 15 years from the current 20 years, at least 5,000 black and yellow taxis will be taken off the roads. “These also include around 100 Premier Padminis which are expected to operate until 2022. There are around 5,000 taxis of different models that are approaching or have already passed 15 years of age,” said the leader of the taxi union, AL Quadros.
The Mumbai Taximen’s Union has asked the government to provide Rs 1,500 per driver as reimbursement from Covid for lost income. In 2008, the government of Maharashtra banned all taxis over 25 and in 2013 they revised the age of taxis to 20. And now the age limit is proposed at 15 years old.
While one of the city’s oldest taxi unions has called on the state’s transportation department not to reduce the age of vehicles, taxi unions have already called for vehicle license extensions and a waiver. at the age limit for two years, citing the financial charges induced by Covid. “At present, there is no clarity or obligation to purchase electric vehicles as taxis, although the government wants all public transport to be electric by 2030. We will surely need subsidies so that licensees and owners can buy electric vehicles, as Covid has reached its revenue. “said Quadros.
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Posted on: Monday August 23, 2021 12:02 am IST
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