Mumbai's Black And Yellow Taxis Will Soon Be The Hottest Wheels In Town

Looks like black-and-yellow cabs have won the day. Mumbaikars may not be too fond of them, but these traditional taxis are soon going to be in huge demand in the city.

As cab aggregators like Uber and Ola protest about new restrictions proposed under the Maharashtra City Taxi Rules, 2016, it is one crucial rule that has them most worried - the government has proposed to make badges mandatory for all cabbies in the city. The catch? Only 38,000 taxi drivers in Mumbai have this badge, and every single one of them drives a black-and-yellow cab.

While that has put the cab aggregators at a distinct advantage, ironically, this rule might be the one thing that finally brings them together with kaali-peeli drivers after years of bitter competition.

Badge of power

These khakhi-colour, metal badges have the driver's information embossed in red, and are popularly called billa in driver's lingo. Soon, these could become compulsory for all taxi drivers, including those who drive for cab aggregators like Ola and Uber, or even fleet services like Meru or TabCab. Earlier these drivers merely required T-permits to indicate they were commercial tourist vehicles.

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If the taxi scheme is passed, then over 1 lakh of these cars might come to a standstill until the drivers get their own badges. Until then, the city will have to rely on kaali-peelis. Sources in the Transport Department said that this could lead to a tussle between the cab aggregators and fleet services, as they all attempt to get the kaali-peelis running for them.

Taxi unions claim that, as of now, there are around 8,000 black-and-yellow cabs operating with the app-based services, but their demand has been low. "This draft has helped to bridge the gap of technology for us kaali-peeli taxi drivers. We are anticipating that we will be approached to merge with these app-based aggregators and fleet operators," said AL Quadros, taxi union leader.

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Win-win

What's more, the draft Rules also make it easy for kaali-peeli drivers to migrate to any cab service. If they are unhappy working with the company, it will be just as easy for them to leave after a one-month trial period. This move will help to integrate the traditional taxis into the modern system of on-demand cabs. There are benefits for commuters too - this will eliminate the practice of refusing fares and ensure more cabs are available our doorstep.

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The draft rules are expected to be cleared soon. "We can expect proper guidelines for all states soon after Diwali, as the Centre has finalised it now. Respective states can amend the guidelines as per their needs and circumstances," said a Transport official.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)