'Yeh Mumbai Ki Shaan Hai...': Mumbaikars React Over Kaali-Peeli Taxis Being Taken Off The Road

Several Mumbaikars said that the Kaali-Peeli taxis were a symbol of the city's unique culture and heritage, some even said that they should continue to roam the streets.

The Maharashtra government had set the age limit for taxis as 20 years. ( Image Source :Representational Image/Getty )

The infamous Kaali-Peeli taxis that have been running on the roads of Mumbai for around six decades were finally removed on Monday, leaving a hole in the city's heart. This decision to send Premier Padmini off road came shortly after the iconic diesel-powered double-decker buses in the fleet of public transporter Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking due to the end of their 15-year codal life. The Kaali-Peeli taxis featured in numerous Bollywood movies, including Taxi No. 9211', Khaali-Peeli', and Aa Ab Laut Chale'. In many old Bollywood films, Premier Padmini cars and double-decker buses would be shown at the beginning to establish Mumbai.

Raees Ahmed, a taxi driver, whose Premier Padmini recently got age-barred, said he drove the model for 15 years and only because of it he could run his house and complete the education of his brothers and now his kids. The phasing out of taxis was met with mixed reactions as for many it was a symbol of the city's unique culture and heritage.

"Yeh Mumbai ki shaan hai aur hamari jaan hai (it is the pride of Mumbai and life of mine)," said Prabhadevi resident Abdul Kareem Karsekar, who owns the last registered Premier Padmini taxi of Mumbai, bearing registration number MH-01-JA-2556 told PTI.

Anil Wadhwani told ABP News, "He has been travelling in these taxis for many years." This taxi is no less than the identity of Mumbai. It should still be allowed to roam on the streets of Mumbai.

Pradeep Palav, a Parel resident and art lover, said nowadays Premier Padmini taxis can only be seen in murals on walls in Mumbai. Though it has slowly vanished, it has conquered a place in people's imagination and hearts, he said.

"Presently, we have scores of car models as taxis, but when it comes to painting a taxi only the black-and-yellow Premier Padmini pops up in our mind, as it ruled Mumbai's streets for almost five decades and gave a face or identity to the city's taxis," Palav was quoted by PTI.

Noted businessman Anand Mahindra also paid homage to the iconic Premier Padmini taxis and said that though they were clunkers, uncomfortable and noisy, but carried tons of memories for many people. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Anand Mahindra wrote, “From today, the iconic Premier Padmini Taxi vanishes from Mumbai’s roads. They were clunkers, uncomfortable, unreliable, noisy. Not much baggage capacity either. But for people of my vintage, they carried tons of memories. And they did their job of getting us from point A to point B. Goodbye and alvida, kaali-peeli taxis. Thank you for the good times…"

From today, the iconic Premier Padmini Taxi vanishes from Mumbai’s roads. They were clunkers, uncomfortable, unreliable, noisy. Not much baggage capacity either. But for people of my vintage, they carried tons of memories. And they did their job of getting us from point A to… pic.twitter.com/weF33dMQQc

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) October 30, 2023

Maharashtra Government Set 20-Year Cap On Taxis

The Maharashtra government had set the age limit for taxis as 20 years. According to a PTI report quoting a transport department official, the last Premier Padmini was registered at the Tardeo RTO on October 29, 2003.

This transition comes shortly after the phasing out of the last iconic diesel-powered double-decker buses in the fleet of public transporter Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking due to the end of their 15-year codal life. The retirement of two once-ubiquitous and crucial modes of public carriers in a matter of weeks has left Mumbai's transportation enthusiasts heavy-hearted, with some demanding that at least one Premier Padmini' be preserved on the road or in a museum, reported PTI.

Journey of the Premier Padmini taxis

AL Quadros, general secretary of the Mumbai Taximens Union, recalled that Premier Padmini's journey as a taxi started in 1964 with the model Fiat-1100 Delight', a powerful 1200-cc car with a steering-mounted gear shifter. It was small compared to "big taxis" like the Plymouth, Landmaster, Dodge, and Fiat 1100, called by locals as dukkar Fiat'.

In the 1970s, the model was rebranded "Premier Padmini", after the legendary Indian queen Padmini. Thereafter, the car manufactured by Premier Automobile Limit (PAL) never went through a name change until its production stopped in 2001, he said. Some 100-125 Premier Padmini taxis remained unregistered due to lack of availability of spare parts or other reasons, for a long time after production ceased. However, in 2003, car dealers managed to secure their registration and the last taxi registered then will now be scrapped, Quadros said.

"Premier Padminis were popular among cabbies due to their smaller size, reliable engines, easy maintenance, and comfortable interiors, but after their production stopped, unavailability of spare parts became the main problem," he said.

The octogenarian union leader said that Premier Padmini's number was at its peak in the '90s, but a big chunk of them went off the roads after the Maharashtra government set a 25-year age limit for cabs in 2008 and then brought it down to 20 years in 2013.