"Good Times": Anand Mahindra's Tribute To Mumbai's 'Kaali Peeli' Taxis

The famous 'kaali peeli' (black and yellow) taxis, also known as 'Premier Padmini' taxis in Mumbai, will no longer be in service from today. Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, paid tribute to the legendary Premier Padmini Taxis, acknowledging that even though they were old, uncomfortable, and noisy vehicles, they held countless cherished memories for people. 

He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “From today, the iconic Premier Padmini Taxi vanishes from Mumbai's roads. They were clunkers, uncomfortable, unreliable, noisy. Not much baggage capacity either. But for people of my vintage, they carried tons of memories. And they did their job of getting us from point A to point B. Goodbye and alvida, kaali-peeli taxis. Thank you for the good times.”

People are taking a trip down memory lane in the comments, sharing their fond reminiscences of the iconic 'Kaali Peeli'. One user wrote, “Main attraction was to just wave down one on a road. Unlike the radio taxis which have to be waited for.”

Another person recalled, “This was my first vehicle in Mumbai on 27th December 2010. Still can't forget that feeling. One of the historic vehicles in Mumbai. We will miss the iconic Premier Padmini Taxi.”

“So many memories attached to them of kaali peeli taxi out from Mumbai roads,” another comment read.

A few called it “end of an era”.

The Premier Padmini taxis, produced by Premier Automobiles in India, were reliable workhorses that navigated through the city's congested roads, narrow lanes, and unpredictable traffic with remarkable agility. The name 'Kaali Peeli' derives from the prominent black and yellow colours that adorned these cabs. The decision to discontinue them was made after the 15-year operational life of the iconic double-decker buses in the public transportation fleet came to an end.