Mumbai: City’s Iconic ‘Kaali-Peeli’ Premier Padmini Taxis Disappeared From City Streets

Mumbai, 30th October 2023: After the discontinuation of BEST double-decker buses from Mumbai’s service, Mumbaikars yesterday bid adieu to their beloved and the identity of Mumbai’s streets for decades—the Padmini taxi.

For decades, the iconic ‘Kaali-Peeli’ Premier Padmini taxis have been an inseparable part of Mumbai’s urban landscape, representing the city’s vibrant culture in various art forms. However, as the city’s streets continue to evolve with the introduction of new taxi models and the rise of app-based cab services, the beloved Premier Padmini taxis travelled their final journey on Mumbai’s roads yesterday.

The last Premier Padmini taxi, commonly referred to as ‘Kaali-Peeli’, was officially registered in Mumbai on October 29, 2003, at the Taddeo Regional Transport Office (RTO) under the city’s jurisdiction. According to transport department regulations, taxis are permitted to operate for up to 20 years after registration, and with this validity coming to an end yesterday, Mumbai bid farewell to the Padmini taxi.

Mumbai, a city that has long been associated with its Premier Padmini taxis, currently boasts a fleet of over 40,000 black and yellow taxis. Back in the late 90s, ‘blue and silver’ taxis also graced the city streets, numbering around 63,000. In recent years, the Mumbai Taximen’s Union, the city’s largest taxi drivers’ union, made an appeal to the government, requesting the preservation of at least one ‘Kaali-Peeli taxi; however, their plea went unanswered.

The taxi driver informed that maintaining this particular taxi is quite a formidable task. Finding individual spare parts for it is a rare and difficult endeavour. However, they hoped that this taxi would be in the hearts of many Mumbaikars in the many years to come.