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Kolkata’s Ambassador Era May End, But Yellow Taxis Will Stay On Roads: Report
Kolkata's iconic yellow taxis, which ran the risk of being phased out, will stay on. However, the Ambassador, whose production has stopped, is unlikely to get a lifeline anytime soon.
Kolkata’s iconic yellow taxi, which has been a symbol of the city’s transport system for decades, has got a new lease on life. Almost two months after a 2008 Calcutta High Court order raised concerns over the phasing out of the yellow taxis, also known as the 'king of roads', the Mamata Banerjee government has tweaked rules to allow yellow taxis to be on the roads.
Although the future of the classic Ambassador is uncertain, the move will preserve the cultural identity of Kolkata. The West Bengal government has announced that all light commercial vehicles with taxi permits can now be painted yellow, reported The Times Of India.
The move comes after a protest by yellow taxi owners last month, demanding official 'heritage' status for the iconic transport mode.
Previously, light commercial vehicles could only be painted white if they held a taxi permit.
The new rule, outlined in Notification No. 3112-WT issued by transport secretary Saumitra Mohan, responds to calls for more flexibility in the colour schemes of light passenger vehicles. Under road regulations, a "light commercial vehicle" refers to any vehicle capable of carrying between three and six passengers.
The yellow taxi, which has been a part of Kolkata streets' heritage since 1962, began with Hindustan Motors's Ambassador. A Kolkata without yellow taxis was unimaginable at one point. However, their presence has dwindled significantly, dropping from 18,000 vehicles a decade ago to just 7,000 in 2024, as per the TOI report.
As many as 4,493 taxis are set to be retired this year due to a 15-year service limit imposed on commercial vehicles by the Calcutta High Court in 2008. Fewer than 3,000 yellow taxis are expected to remain on the roads by the end of 2025.
The 2008 Calcutta High Court ruling was aimed at addressing environmental concerns and reducing pollution from older cars. But it also led to the decline of the Ambassador, the last of which was produced in 2014. Earlier, taxi association members said that the upkeep of the old ambassadors was also getting expensive.
In addition to the regulatory changes, yellow taxis face stiff competition from app-based ride-hailing services, which offer greater convenience, lower prices, and features like GPS tracking.