Oye Taxi !!!
In New York they are yellow, in London they are Black and in Mumbai they’re both yellow and black. What am I talking about ? – well taxis and more specifically the Mumbai Taxi. Though mostly old and rusty these little devils come in a variety of psychedelic lights (mostly fluorescent blue) and in an array of sticker art.
Here take a look.
Like most cities, the people of Mumbai share a love/hate relationship with their cabbies or taxiwallahs in Mumbai speak. The Mumbai blogosphere reflects this due adoration with a variety of posts. Let us take a look shall we ?
Rashmi tells us, “And although the taxi itself may be old and decrepit, the driver is usually warm and friendly. Just like India, as a country. “. While, ‘The Man from Matunga’ looks at, “The Top Ten Rules that Mumbai Taxi-Drivers Follow for Passenger Comfort and Satisfaction”
Fares in Bombay like elsewhere in the world are usually calculated according to a combination of distance and waiting time, and are measured by a taximeter. Unlike the digital taximeters you find abroad the Indian taximeters are mechanical and go clickety click very 10 seconds or so.
[image courtesy public domain, copyright with taker]
The most common complaint I get from people who are new to Mumbai is that the cabbies charge more then the agreed upon tarrif card.Therefore, I took a liberty to add a Mumbai taxi tarrif card for your future reference. Click on the image to get a better look.
Maybe a dumb question, but what do the names on the back of the taxi mean? For example, the one in your post says “Bandra.” Others say “Dadar” etc. These are names of neighborhoods in Mumbai. Are there different cab companies for each neighborhood, or is it simply a matter of local pride?
Nick it’s a very valid question. There are no taxi companies in Mumbai so to speak even though they’re guys who own more than taxi and get people to drive them. Now why do they put up names of neighborhoods on the back of their cars is a mystery to me because they are usually not from the neighbourhoods they advertise on their cabs.
‘Bandra’ is quiet common on most cabs its probably because they seem the place.
hmm. I always thought it was because the name written on the back of the taxi was their preferred area of travel… but that doesn’t solve the mystery!
Jinal – It is very much a mystery!! Must consult with some cabbies and report back.
Much more interesting than taxis on Tokyo. Most Tokyo cabbies drive for taxi companies and so aren’t free to pimp out their taxis. And the independent cabbies all drive white taxis (I don’t know whether that is by statute or something or just by convention). Some taxis have seat covers that have sort of crocheted lace edges on them. Otherwise there’s nothing terribly interesting about them.
Trucks are a bit different, though. Bigger trucks, I mean. I see many of those that have the cabs tricked out with dingle balls and other gear.
Michael – you should keitai a post on the Tokyo cab on Tokyo Met. We could create a global taxi meme and spread it around Metroblogging. What do you think ?
I’ve heard – tokyo cabs are “hyperefficient, but completely impersonal and exorbitantly priced. Sounds like Japan to me. The drivers actually wear gloves “