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.
^[1]

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 ^[2]. 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. “ ^[3]. While, ‘The Man from Matunga’ looks at, “The Top Ten Rules that Mumbai Taxi-Drivers Follow for Passenger Comfort and Satisfaction ^[4]”

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.