Newer cars are entering the ring to replace the ubiquitous Padmini Fiats,the black and yellow taxis that still rule Mumbais roads but the newly launched small hatchback,Nano,may not be able to squeeze into the taxi stands,at least for now. Ever since the car was first announced in January 2008,the citys cabbies had been showing great interest in the small hatchback,chiefly because its lower cost. After its launch,the taxi unions feel they might have to wait for two to three years before they can own a black and yellow Nano. Most of the cabbies are interested in buying the Nano and plying it as taxis,but since the demand for the car is expected to be very high,the manufacturer may not allow it to be plied as cabs, said A L Quadros,General Secretary of Mumbai Taximens Union. Rajendra Kumar,a cabbie,said,Its a good car and comes cheap. Why wouldnt I want to trade my Fiat for it? Taxi unions say they have met authorities of Tata Motors expressing interest in buying Nano. Weve had a meeting with officials of Tata Motors on the issue of buying Nano cars to be plied as taxis. They have said theyll revert in a few days. But we dont expect them to allow it to be used as cabs since it is very new. Lets wait, said Mustaq Qureshi,President of City Taxi Union. The cabbies would like a few changes in the car. Petrol is not viable for a taxi driver in Mumbai. One has to check whether retro-fitting a CNG engine is possible in the Nano, Quadros added. The cabbies also feel that since the storage space is too little in the car,there might be a need to add carriers on the roof once they can get the Peoples Car. Till the time the citys cabbies get their hands on the 623-cc-car,they are continuing with the transitional phase of cabs by inducting cars like Indigos,WagonRs,Altos,Omnis as black and yellow cabs. The Tata Nano was commercially launched on Monday and it will be on display at Tata Motors Passenger Car dealers. The booking for the car will commence on April 9 and continue till April 25 while Tata Motors would randomly select and announce allotment of cars to the first 1,00,000 applicants 60 days after the closure of booking.
