ROOF-TOP INDICATORS Taximen's union opposes move

The city’s largest taxi union has opposed the proposal to install rooftop indicators on kaali-peeli taxis. This comes after the Maharashtra transport department issued a notification on Monday, which made the installation of colour-coded indicators compulsory for all new cabs. Mumbai has around 44,000 kaali-peelis, with another 20,000 across the state.

However the Mumbai Taximen’s Union (MTU) is opposing this move, which is likely to come into effect from next month.

In a letter to Transport Commissioner Shekhar Channe, MTU leader A L Quadros has said the union is strongly opposed to the proposal of installing these indicators on taxis plying in Mumbai. “The transport department’s failure to improve the condition of the ailing taxi trade and the delay in implementing the Mumbai City Taxi Scheme and the Khatau Committee Report are the reasons for opposing the move. The department has also failed to revise the taxi fares despite the fact that CNG prices have jumped up by Rs 9.50 since the last fare revision,” the letter reads.

Further, a large number of city taxis ply under the sharetaxi scheme or as prepaid taxis near airports and railway stations, and these do not require the rooftop signs, it added. “We hereby request you to keep the proposal of fixing the rooftop indicator light on meter taxis (on hold) till the above stated issues facing the trade are discussed and appropriate relief is granted,” according to the letter.

Earlier, this idea was proposed in 2012 and gained momentum in January 2014 when the transport department issued a draft notification inviting public feedback. But it was delayed for five years over the demand that the sign ought to be in both, English and Marathi.

According to the notification, the rooftop indicator for kaali-peelis should be cream yellow in colour, while for fleet taxis, it should be blue or silver, while letters on these indicators should be either in the front or on both, front and rear for a clear view.