Goodbye Kaali-Peeli: Mumbai's beloved 'Premier Padmini' taxis to go off the road from October 30

The final Premier Padmini taxi in Mumbai was officially registered at the Tardeo RTO, which holds jurisdiction over the city's island area. Given the 20-year age limit for cabs in Mumbai, the city will no longer have any Premier Padmini taxis on its streets.

Mumbai's iconic 'Premier Padmini' taxis will cease operation in the city starting from Monday, October 30, marking the end of an era similar to the recent retirement of BEST's legendary red double-decker diesel buses.

The final Premier Padmini taxi in Mumbai was officially registered at the Tardeo RTO, which holds jurisdiction over the city's island area. Given the 20-year age limit for cabs in Mumbai, the city will no longer have any Premier Padmini taxis on its streets.

Abdul Kareem Karsekar, a resident of Prabhadevi and the owner of the last registered Premier Padmini taxi in Mumbai, expressed his sentimental attachment to the vehicle, referring to it as "the pride of Mumbai and my life."

This development closely follows the phase-out of the last remaining diesel-powered double-decker buses within the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, as their 15-year operational lifespan came to an end.

The retirement of these two once-ubiquitous modes of public transportation in a matter of weeks has left enthusiasts and commuters disheartened. Some are calling for the preservation of at least one 'Premier Padmini' either on the road or in a museum.

A few years ago, the Mumbai Taximen's Union, one of the city's major taxi driver unions, had appealed to the government to safeguard at least one 'kaali-peeli' (black-and-yellow) taxi, but the efforts proved unsuccessful.

Pradeep Palav, an art enthusiast residing in Parel, lamented the fading presence of Premier Padmini taxis, noting that they now exist primarily in murals on Mumbai's walls. Despite their gradual disappearance, these taxis have carved a permanent place in the hearts and imaginations of the city's residents.

"We have numerous car models serving as taxis today, but when one envisions a taxi, it's the black-and-yellow Premier Padmini that comes to mind. It ruled Mumbai's streets for nearly five decades, providing a distinctive identity to the city's taxis," Palav emphasized.

Presently, Mumbai boasts more than 40,000 black-and-yellow cabs, although in the late 90s, the city had approximately 63,000 of them, including the air-conditioned "cool cabs" known for their unique 'blue and silver' color scheme.