Indica not fit as a cab, says taximen’s union

But after evaluating the Indica, AL Quadros of the Mumbai Taximen’s Union feels the Indica lacks the features to replace the Padmini and could at best be used as an air-conditioned cab.

According to Quadros, the Uno a/c cab in the airport was a disaster since it simply lacked the huge luggage-carrying capacity offered in the Padmini’s rear. “Passengers coming in from the Gulf carry in at least three huge suitcases which can’t fit in either the Uno or the Indica,” he said.

He said 30 per cent of taxis were hired by small traders to transport finished products from manufacturing units. They would shun the Indica cab.

Telco has offered both petrol and diesel versions of the Indica as taxis. Having burnt their fingers with diesel engines, Quadros said there was no question of going in for such models. “The way things are going in Delhi, tomorrow the government may modify laws to ban diesel vehicles and we’ll get stuck again,” he said, adding the preference was for a petrol-driven engine fitted with a CNG kit.

Here again, the lack of storage space in the Indica severely restricted its conversion with a CNG kit. Unlike the Padmini, there wasn’t any space to keep the CNG cylinder, said Quadros.

“However, we still approached Telco last year to ask them to consider releasing the Indica as an a/c cab, but they refused. Their willingness to now do so has raised doubts whether the vehicle has failed to perform in the market,” said Quadros.

But Dubey refuted these allegations. “When you’re launching a product, the first priority is for the regular customers. By next January, when we’ve completed a year since our launch, we will start looking at other segments including the taxi trade,” he said.

Telco had received over 1.15 lakh bookings for the Indica in January and still has a backlog of 60,000 cars which it hopes to clear by early next year.

The specifications and price of the Indica taxi would have to be decided, though many automobile industry watchers say it could well be a stripped-down version of the Indica. According to Dubey, the introduction of the Euro I and Euro II compliant Indica taxis would help curb pollution in the city.

Quadros agreed the city had a requirement of only around 40,000 taxis as against the current strength of 55,000 taxis.

According to transport commissioner V M Lal, nearly 30,000 taxis or 70 per cent of the city’s taxi fleet was over 15 years old and major polluters. Several car manufacturers, including Telco and Fiat, are being invited to see whether it was feasible to replace these 30,000 taxis if the high court gave such a verdict.

Quadros says taximen urgently need a new car model to replace the 200 taxis that are being retired every month.