In 1999, good ol' Fiat cars ruled the cabbie roost but today, private players and modern models are nudging them out
In 1999, good ol' Fiat cars ruled the cabbieu00a0roost but today, private players and modern u00a0models are nudging them out
After driving a staid Fiat taxi for 25 years, Shahid Pathan alias Ladoo, 45, is happy with the changes, which have come into his life.
He now drives an easy to operate Maruti Omni van and makes more money that way.
Ask Pathan what has changed from 1999 to 2009 and Pathan emphaticallyu00a0says, "A lot of changes for good, but some new problems have cropped up.
Now, I drive an Omni van, which has an electronic meter and that is very good for me. People are convinced that they will be paying the right tariff and that the taxi driver cannot tamper with electronic meters.
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VAN GUARD: Pathan in his cab. Taxis like this have changed the face of cabbie commuting in the city this year |
Even the business has increased, as people like to travel in an Omni van, as it is comfortable.
For me, it is easier to drive an Omni than a Fiat car. People are lured towards new cars, which have been given permits for taxis," said Pathan. Santacruz resident Pathan bought a second-hand taxi in 1990 at Rs 60,000.
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"We never thought that taxis will have to be phased out and I will have to sell my Fiat taxi and incur losses. Suddenly, we were told that all of our taxis would be phased out.
I had no option and sold my taxi for a mere Rs 11,000," Pathan points out. Pathan then bought a brand new Maruti Omni van for Rs 2,33,000 in December 2008.
"It is comfortable driving the new vehicles like Omni, besides it does not break down frequently right in the middle of the road.
Maintenance is low and not too many repairs have to be undertaken," Pathan said.u00a0 "Even passengers prefer to take Omni on long routes as the seating arrangement is comfortable."
2009 worse than '99Traffic wise, says Pathan, "Things have become worse. Now, when we cabbies drive for eight hours a day, we get exhausted because of the traffic."
| Experts say |
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Fab Cab
Transport expert, Sudhir Badami, says, "Hopefully the bus rapid transit systemu00a0will come into existence very soon.
Good quality taxis are a necessity. I expect within five years, the transition to very good taxis, and every old taxi will be replaced." |
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