25 May,2009 09:21 AM IST | | Varun Singh
Around 40-45 per cent cabbies have done away with stereos in their cabs, as passengers prefer silent journeysu00a0u00a0u00a0
Gone are the days when a music system was considered as the USP of a taxi. Mumbaikars prefer some quiet these days and as a result around 40 to 45 per cent of cabbies in the city have done away with their stereos.
Shivsagar Burma, who plies in south Mumbai, recalls days when he lost customers because he did not have a music system, but claims passengers, today, opt for silent rides. "Over the last few months, I have noticed that passengers ask me to turn off the music. So, I thought it was best to remove the system," says Burma. The cabbie earlier blamed the cellphone, but realised that passengers did not want the music even when they were not on phone.u00a0u00a0u00a0
Vakil Ahmed Khan, who has been driving a taxi for nearly two decades, said, "Customers would tell me shanti se safar karne do." Khan's taxi stereo was stolen two years ago, after which he decided against installing a new one.
A L Quadros, general secretary, Mumbai Taximen's Union, says, around 40-45 per cent of taxis do not have a stereo. "Many drivers whose tape recorders have been stolen are reluctant to fit new ones in their vehicles," he said.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Beating the noise
According to Yashwant Oke, founder secretary of Anti-noise Pollution, an NGO responsible for the 10 pm deadline on loudspeakers in the city, more and more Mumbaikars are becoming aware of the effects of noise pollution. "There is a lot of noise everywhere. In a cab, one has the power to control the volume. The cabbies and passengers are exercising this power," said Oke.
Silent journeys
Commuters enjoy the peaceful journey. Vishaal Shah, managing partner of a media agency, said, "I want silence in a taxi. The noise outside is anyway high." Added Aneesh Nair, a software engineer, "I prefer a quiet ride as mostly when I get into a taxi, I'm just out of a meeting."
