Taxis of India

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Call Taxi in Tamil Nadu CallTaxi-TamilNadu1.jpg
Call Taxi in Tamil Nadu
Newer radio taxicabs at Hyderabad International Airport in Hyderabad, Telangana HYD Radio taxis.jpg
Newer radio taxicabs at Hyderabad International Airport in Hyderabad, Telangana
Yellow taxis in Kolkata Streets of Kolkata, Cars, India.jpg
Yellow taxis in Kolkata

Cars such as Toyota Etios, Maruti Omni, Mahindra Logan, Tata Indica and Tata Indigo are fairly popular among taxicab operators. The livery of the taxicabs in India varies from state to state. In Delhi and Maharashtra, most taxicabs have yellow-black livery, while in West Bengal, taxis have yellow livery. Private taxicab operators are not required to have a specific livery. However, they are required by law to be registered as commercial vehicles.

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According to Government of India regulations, all taxicabs are required to have a fare-meter installed. However, enforcement by authorities is lax and many cabs operate either without fare-meter or with defunct ones. In such cases, fare is decided by bargaining between the customer and the driver. Taxicabs face stiff competition from auto rickshaws, but in some cities, for example Mumbai, auto-rickshaws are banned in the main city district, thus giving taxicabs a monopoly.

Taxicabs

Taxicab stand outside Mumbai International Airport Taxi stand by night, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (11 September 2005).jpg
Taxicab stand outside Mumbai International Airport

In India, most taxicabs, especially those in Delhi and Mumbai, have distinctive black and yellow liveries with the bottom half painted black and upper half painted yellow. In Kolkata, most taxis are painted yellow with a blue strip in the middle. Private companies operating taxis can have their own liveries, but need to get them approved from the government. Now, drivers don't need to pay commission. [1]

In India, most taxicabs, especially those in Chennai Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, have distinctive black and yellow liveries with the bottom half painted black and upper half painted yellow with limited nos. at Chennai Airport. In Chennai, most taxis are looking like a private owner cars but there is a yellow plated with black numbers and text for identification. Private companies operating taxis can have their own liveries, but need to get them approved from the government. Now, every taxi business involved with commissions which is not avoidable at this point of time. Taxi cabs drivers need to pay commission now for example visit Chennai City Taxi website, who is one of the leading taxi service provider in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh had a commission slab of 15 to 20 per cent from the total bill value of each trip. Also drivers directly can call and enquire about the commission slab on the following no. 8297282979

Taxis and all other commercial vehicles have a yellow number plate, so charging taxes and toll in highways is easier for the officials. Delhi is the only city in India with taxicabs running only on Compressed Natural Gas. To hail a taxicab, you normally just wait on the street or go to locations called taxi stands. Taxicabs are referred to as taxis in India and the word cab is rarely used.

New models of taxicabs like the Mahindra Logan, Tata Indigo, Tata Indica and Toyota Etios are commonly seen in metropolises in India. Bangalore Taxi.jpg
New models of taxicabs like the Mahindra Logan, Tata Indigo, Tata Indica and Toyota Etios are commonly seen in metropolises in India.

Most of these cabs do not have an air conditioning system, but there are numerous private taxi operators like "Cool Cab", which are air-conditioned. The newer taxis are white, one of the many reasons, "why the expensive taxis have been dubbed White Taxis by the locals in cities". Taxis and all other commercial vehicles have a yellow number plate, so charging taxes and toll in highways is easier for the officials.

Depending on the city/state, taxis can either be hailed or are hired from taxi-stands. In cities, such as Bangalore, taxis need to be hired from taxi stands, whereas in cities like Kolkata and Mumbai, taxis can be hailed on the street. There are additional surcharges for luggage, late-night rides and toll taxes are to be paid by the passenger. Thanks to the booming economy but due to disparities in income many types of taxis have come up. For example, in Delhi there are five types of taxi. auto rickshaws- which are the cheapest form of taxi-, Normal Taxis, Radio Cabs, White Taxis and Tourist Taxis. In posher areas like Noida and Gurgaon auto rickshaws are banned thus giving the taxis a monopoly. Chandigarh also has a well established system of modern radio cabs using cars like Tata Indigo/Indigo Marina, Fiat Siena and Maruti Esteem. Kolkata has also got many No Refusal taxis that will never say no to the passengers. [2] [3]

Shared taxicab

In cities and localities, where taxis are expensive or do not ply as per the government or municipal regulated fares, people use Share taxis. These are normal taxis, which carry one or more passengers travelling to destinations either en route to the final destination, or nearby the final destination. The passengers are charged according to the number of people with different destinations.These taxis are locally known as uber or ola is India. A similar system exists for autorickshaws, known as Share autos.

As one example, "Shared taxis" – and known just as that – have been operating in Mumbai, India, since the early 1970s. These are more like a point to point service that operates only during the peak hours. During off peak hours, they ply just like the regular taxis, can be hailed anywhere on the roads, and passengers are charged by the meter. But in order to bridge the gap between demand and supply, during peak hours, several of them operate as Shared Taxis, taking a full cab load of passengers to a more or less common destination. The pick-up points for these taxis are fixed, and are marked by a post that says, “Shared Taxis” and cabs line up at this point during peak hours. They display the general destination, they are headed for on their windscreens, and passengers just get in and wait for the cab to fill up. As soon as this happens, which takes less than a couple of minutes, the cab moves off. Fares are a fixed amount, fixed between the Taxi Unions and the authorities for the point to point distance – and are far lower than the metered fare to the same destination, but higher than the bus or train fare. Time taken is obviously much less than that by bus. These taxis are very popular because of the lack of waiting time, faster journey speeds, greater comfort and absence of the crush loads of peak hour commuter traffic in buses and trains. Generally, the taxi drivers choose the locality that they live in, in the suburbs as the destination in the evenings and in the mornings, the destinations are always the CBD in South Mumbai."

Motorcycle taxicabs

Motorcycle taxicabs are a licensed form of transport in Goa, India. They are much cheaper than other taxis, although the lone passenger can only carry a backpack as luggage. Motorcycle taxis in Goa are driven by men called 'pilots'. By law, in some parts of the state, the rider is expected to wear a helmet, but the pillion-rider is not. These motorcycle taxis can normally be identified by their yellow-and-black coloured paint. The fare should be fixed in advance, and the rides are not metered.

Taxicabs in Mumbai

Taxicabs arrived in 1911 to complement horse wagons. The black and yellow Fiat taxis in Mumbai, are integral part of the city's heritage and have been depicted in numerous Bollywood movies. These metered taxis ply throughout Mumbai and have monopoly from Bandra to Churchgate on the Western line and Sion to Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus on the Central line. Beyond Sion and Bandra auto rickshaws are not allowed and one has to hire a taxi. However, between Sion to Thane and Bandra to Bhayandar, Taxis and autorickshaws ply. A mechanical meter decides the fare and is proportional to the distance traveled. There are an estimated 86,000 taxicabs in Mumbai, of which 67,000 are Aggregator cabs and 19,000 are Black Yellows. Cars used for taxis include Maruti Esteem, Tata Indigo, Mahindra Logan, Hyundai Santro, Toyota Innova, Toyota Corolla Altis, Maruti Wagon R and Maruti Versa.

Recently, the police revealed that; it is required by law that the driver of an unengaged taxi take you to where you want to go, distance and time regardless. If the driver does not comply, one simply needs to call the police (dial 100) and mention the taxi's license number and the driver's name. The act of calling the police on your cell phone usually makes the driver comply with your request to be taken to your destination.

The city of Mumbai was first city in India, to have an "in-taxi" magazine, titled MumBaee, which is issued to taxis which are part of the Mumbai Taximen's Union. The magazine debuted on July 13, 2009. [4]

In 2012, it was reported that the city was facing a shortage of taxis. [5]

Taxicabs in Delhi

Radio taxicab powered by CNG CNG propelled radio taxi.jpg
Radio taxicab powered by CNG

The Indian Tourism Ministry and various private owners operate most taxis. The Tourism Ministry grants private companies permits to operate taxis. [6] Though in India, the concept of online booking of taxi and cabs is quite new and successful. It has been generally observed that online booking of car and taxi operations are on a macro-level, with multi-national size of entrepreneurship. [7] [8] [9]

In 1998, the Supreme Court of India published a Directive that specified the date of April, 2001 as deadline to replace or convert all buses, three-wheelers and taxis in Delhi to compressed natural gas. [10] [11] [12] Sakha Consulting Wings provides a unique taxi service exclusively for women by women drivers. [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in India</span> Methods and history of transportation in India

Transport in India consists of transport by land, water and air. Road transport is the primary mode of transport for most Indian citizens, and India's road transport systems are among the most heavily used in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Mumbai</span> Different types of public transport in Mumbai

Transport in Mumbai is achieved by both public, and private transport. As of 2015, 52% of commuters use public transport. Mumbai has the largest organized bus transport network among major Indian cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney carriage</span> Car for hire

A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise. A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common sight on the streets of the UK. The hackney carriages carry a roof sign TAXI that can be illuminated at night to indicate their availability for passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle for hire</span> Vehicle providing transport for a fee

A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing private transport or shared transport for a fee, in which passengers are generally free to choose their points or approximate points of origin and destination, unlike public transport, and which they do not drive themselves, as in car rental and carsharing. They may be offered via a ridesharing company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto rickshaw</span> Motorized version of the rickshaw

An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj, chand gari, lapa, tuk-tuk, tum-tum, Keke-napep, Maruwa, 3wheel, pragya, bao-bao, easy bike, cng and tukxi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxis of Hong Kong</span> Taxi system of Hong Kong

Hong Kong taxicabs are the principal taxi service in Hong Kong. Although a few taxis are independently owned and operated, the vast majority are owned by 17 independent taxi companies that rent out taxis on a shift basis to 40,000 self-employed drivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxis of New York City</span> Taxicabs operating in New York City, New York

In New York City, taxicabs come in two varieties: yellow and green; they are widely recognizable symbols of the city. Taxis painted yellow are able to pick up passengers anywhere in the five boroughs. Those painted apple green, which began to appear in August 2013, are allowed to pick up passengers in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Both types have the same fare structure. Taxicabs are operated by private companies and licensed by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). It also oversees over 40,000 other for-hire vehicles, including "black cars", commuter vans, and ambulettes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxis of Singapore</span>

Taxis of Singapore come in two main varieties. Traditional taxi companies offer flag down and call bookings and their drivers are hired employees of the company. Ridesharing companies allow bookings through a smartphone, allowing ease for passengers, these are mostly known as private hire vehicles (PHV). Their apps also allow the flexibility to work and pick up passengers with their own vehicle, be it owned or rented, provided the various requirements are met depending on the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Kolkata</span>

The transport system of Kolkata, a city in India, is a mix of modern mass rapid transport and old transport modalities like rickshaws. Kolkata is connected to the rest of India by the National Highways, the extensive network of the Indian Railways, National Waterways and by air. The most traffic to Northeast India route via Kolkata.

Taxicabs in a single country often share a set of common properties, but there is a wide variation from country to country in the vehicles used, the circumstances under which they may be hired and the regulatory regime to which these are subject.

The taxicabs of the United States make up a mature system; most U.S. cities have a licensing scheme which restricts the number of taxicabs allowed. As of 2012 the total number of taxi cab drivers in the United States is 233,900; the average annual salary of a taxi cab driver is $22,820 and the expected percent job increase over the next 10 years is 16%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxis of the United Kingdom</span>

Taxicabs are regulated throughout the United Kingdom, but the regulation of taxicabs in London is especially rigorous with regard to mechanical integrity and driver knowledge. An official report observed that: "Little however is known about the regulation by anyone outside the trade. The Public Carriage Office (PCO), which regulates and licenses taxis and private hire was transferred from the Metropolitan Police to become part of Transport for London in 2000." In 2015, there were around 298,000 licensed drivers in England, of which 164,000 were private hire licences, 62,000 were taxi licences and 72,000 were dual licences.

Illegal taxicabs, sometimes known as pirate taxis, gypsy cabs, or jitney cabs, are taxicabs and other for-hire vehicles that are not duly licensed or permitted by the jurisdiction in which they operate. Most major cities worldwide require taxicabs to be licensed, safety-inspected, insured as for-hire vehicles and use taximeters and there may also be requirements that the taxi driver be registered or accredited. However, many unlicensed cabs are in operation. Illegal cabs may be marked taxi vehicles, and others are personal vehicles used by an individual to offer unauthorized taxi-like services. Illegal cabs are prevalent in cities with medallion systems, which restrict the number of legal cabs in operation. Since their introduction in 2009, vehicles affiliated with the transportation network company Uber have been classified as illegal taxicabs in some jurisdictions.

Mangalore's location in the Indian state of Karnataka makes it accessible by all forms of transport: road, rail, air and sea. It is the largest city in the Coastal Karnataka region, and is the only city in Karnataka and one among the six cities in India to have an International Airport, a Major Seaport, railway & road connectivities. It is the second prominent city of Karnataka after the state capital Bangalore in all aspects. It is one of the fastest developing cities in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxi</span> Type of vehicle for hire with a driver

A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice. This differs from public transport where the pick-up and drop-off locations are decided by the service provider, not by the customers, although demand responsive transport and share taxis provide a hybrid bus/taxi mode.

Meter Jam is a campaign being followed in Metro cities of India such as Bangalore and Mumbai to correct the malpractices adopted by the taxi and auto rickshaw drivers.

Taxi livery varies greatly from country to country. In some countries, livery is determined by Government legislation, in other countries, taxi operators have choice on colours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boro taxi</span> Taxicab of New York City, US

Boro taxis are taxicabs in New York City that are allowed to pick up passengers in outer boroughs and in Manhattan above East 96th and West 110th Streets. The color of boro taxis is apple green in contrast to the traditional yellow taxis in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ola Cabs</span> Indian multinational ridesharing company

Ola Cabs is an Indian multinational ridesharing company, headquartered in Bangalore. It also operates in other business verticals including financial services and cloud kitchens.

Transport in Bangalore consists of several intracity commute modes such as BMTC buses, Namma Metro rail services, taxis and auto rickshaws, as well as several intercity forms of transport: Government operated KSRTC, NWKRTC, KKRTC, other states RTC buses, Private bus operators, trains, and flights.

References

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  6. "Types Of Permit And Its Condition". www.delhi.gov.in. GOVT Of NCT Of Delhi.
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  13. "10vor10 vom 15.5.2015" (in German). 10vor10. 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  14. Rhitu Chatterjee (2013-02-14). "Delhi's No.1 ladies' taxi company". BBC News / PRI's The World, Delhi. Retrieved 2015-05-15.