After 6 decades of service, iconic ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxis to go off roads in Mumbai from Oct 30
Starting from Monday, October 30, the iconic ‘Premier Padmini’ aka ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxis in Mumbai will no longer be seen on the city’s streets.
Starting from Monday, October 30, the iconic ‘Premier Padmini’ aka ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxis in Mumbai will no longer be seen on the city’s streets. These classic black and yellow taxis are retiring after serving the town for six decades. This comes shortly after Mumbai’s most loved red double-decker diesel buses went off the roads.
According to a transport department official, the last of the Kaali Peeli taxis was officially registered at the Tardeo Regional Transport Office (RTO), which oversees the island city of Mumbai.
The age limit for taxis in the city of Mumbai is set at 20 years. As of Monday, Mumbai will bid farewell to Premiere Padmini taxis.
Abdul Kareen Karsekar, a resident of Prabhadebi and owner of the last registered Premier Padmini taxi in Mumbai, expressed his sentiments saying “Yeh Mumbai ki shaan aur humari jaan hai”
This shift closely follows the retirement of the last diesel powered double decker buses in the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) fleet. These buses reached the end of their 15 year service life, marking the end of an era.
With both the iconic modes of public transportation going off road within a short span, people in Mumbai have been left feeling sentimental. Some are even urging authorities to reserve at least one ‘Premier Padmini’ either on the road or in a museum.
Reports suggest that a few years ago, the Mumbai’s Taximen’s Union, one of the city’s prominent taxi driver unions, had appealed to the government to safeguard at least one ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxi, but their efforts did not yield success.
Ms Kalinga