Premier Padmini Taxis in Mumbai: End of the Road

scopriobharath · 28th April 2014, 19:06

As a taxi user, i would prefer a Hyundai/Maruti any day. In Fact, when i hire a taxi, i wait till i get an empty Santro/Maruti. I have traveled by Premier Padmini taxi and I felt the vehicle to be congested and claustrophobic, due to the lower roof. Also i found the ride to be better in the Japanese/Korean models. Other than the nostalgic feeling, i personally would'nt hail a premier padmini. The newer gen cars are maybe tin-boxes but they are faster and more comfortable.

On the other hand, premier as a manufacturer did not bother to keep up with market pace. No one stopped premier from selling in india. If Maruti could sell cars today, so could premier. Premier has not done anything for its fans and followers. In that day, Premier was a luxury but today, there are far more faster, efficient and better cars to compete.

desdemona · 14th October 2016, 12:46

http://scroll.in/article/818948/a-ph...about-the-city

While a unique-to-the-city taxi is likely unfeasible for Mumbai, imo it is a civic travesty that the Padmini kaali-peeli is going, nearly unmourned and unregretted, other than by Mumbai's famous cabbies that is, who're getting their liveliheoods corroded fast by the UBER/OLA etc model and other factors including assorted corrupt anti-civic collusions.

The Kaali-Peeli Fiats deserve a proper funerary organised civic-ritual imo, a sendoff, a celebratory/festive collective "wake" for owners, drivers and old+young Mumabia cityzen-customer/patrons, as it were.

Perhaps, in the likely case of FCA of withdrawing the Fiat brand from the Indian popular-mass market in favour of JEEP+Chrysler and/or whatever else, in a couple of years' time, they could be the ones to sponsor such a civic-ritual send-off for FIAT long-in-India and especially for the Bombay/Mumbai Kaali-Peeli PAL/Fiat Padmini-s??

neeravnaik · 14th October 2016, 17:32

I was about time. These cars are going to run out of their productive lives and they are not making any new models.

we have to keep up with times - Bangkok has very colorful Toyota Corrollas as Taxis.

shankar.balan · 17th October 2016, 07:08

Why dont they run a 'fair' contest to find the Top 100 or 200 best maintained old Fiat Cabs and then do a super engineering job and stuff in CNG engines into them?

They can then set up an annual maintenance program and stringent tests to ensure quality (something like the British MoT Tests).

That way these iconic taxis can run for some more years.
And preserve the lovely heritage of these old Fiats in Mumbai! What a phenomenal advertisement value and boost this can give to Fiat India!

They can do the same in Calcutta for the old Ambassador taxis.

All these initiatives, (like the famous London Taxi) can be used to bolster Tourism in these
Great Cities of India!

We are probably the last Nation on Earth that has such numbers of these old cars running around and this can be converted into a massive publicity campaign,
Benefiting tourism!

And for guaranteed
Rides let there be a proper ticketing system in place,
along with an app (similar to Uber/ Ola).

Maybe Uber or OLA can do this and progress this business idea with the kind of Capital they can invest!

djpeesh · 17th October 2016, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Why dont they run a 'fair' contest to find the Top 100 or 200 best maintained old Fiat Cabs and then do a super engineering job and stuff in CNG engines into them?

They can then set up an annual maintenance program and stringent tests to ensure quality (something like the British MoT Tests).

That way these iconic taxis can run for some more years.
And preserve the lovely heritage of these old Fiats in Mumbai! What a phenomenal advertisement value and boost this can give to Fiat India!

They can do the same in Calcutta for the old Ambassador taxis.

All these initiatives, (like the famous London Taxi) can be used to bolster Tourism in these
Great Cities of India!

Maybe Uber or OLA can do this and progress this business idea with the kind of Capital they can invest!

Shankar, they already have CNG engines. The reason they're being phased out are because the rules that state that cabs over 20 years old should be scrapped

vinay kamath · 29th October 2023, 20:30

Times of India today again reported a story of today being the last day of black and yellow Premier Padminis in Mumbai. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../104796234.cms

My heart goes out to these iconic taxis of Aamchi Mumbai! a tribute !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2_phT5vCP0

28th April 2014, 19:06	#31
scopriobharath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 3,617 Thanked: 1,330 Times	Re: Premier Padmini Taxis in Mumbai: End of the Road As a taxi user, i would prefer a Hyundai/Maruti any day. In Fact, when i hire a taxi, i wait till i get an empty Santro/Maruti. I have traveled by Premier Padmini taxi and I felt the vehicle to be congested and claustrophobic, due to the lower roof. Also i found the ride to be better in the Japanese/Korean models. Other than the nostalgic feeling, i personally would'nt hail a premier padmini. The newer gen cars are maybe tin-boxes but they are faster and more comfortable. On the other hand, premier as a manufacturer did not bother to keep up with market pace. No one stopped premier from selling in india. If Maruti could sell cars today, so could premier. Premier has not done anything for its fans and followers. In that day, Premier was a luxury but today, there are far more faster, efficient and better cars to compete. Last edited by scopriobharath : 28th April 2014 at 19:09.
	() Thanks

14th October 2016, 12:46	#32
desdemona BHPian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: gurgaon Posts: 488 Thanked: 505 Times	Re: Premier Padmini Taxis in Mumbai: End of the Road http://scroll.in/article/818948/a-ph...about-the-city While a unique-to-the-city taxi is likely unfeasible for Mumbai, imo it is a civic travesty that the Padmini kaali-peeli is going, nearly unmourned and unregretted, other than by Mumbai's famous cabbies that is, who're getting their liveliheoods corroded fast by the UBER/OLA etc model and other factors including assorted corrupt anti-civic collusions. The Kaali-Peeli Fiats deserve a proper funerary organised civic-ritual imo, a sendoff, a celebratory/festive collective "wake" for owners, drivers and old+young Mumabia cityzen-customer/patrons, as it were. Perhaps, in the likely case of FCA of withdrawing the Fiat brand from the Indian popular-mass market in favour of JEEP+Chrysler and/or whatever else, in a couple of years' time, they could be the ones to sponsor such a civic-ritual send-off for FIAT long-in-India and especially for the Bombay/Mumbai Kaali-Peeli PAL/Fiat Padmini-s??
	(1) Thanks

14th October 2016, 17:32	#33
neeravnaik BHPian Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Bangalore Posts: 195 Thanked: 406 Times	Re: Premier Padmini Taxis in Mumbai: End of the Road I was about time. These cars are going to run out of their productive lives and they are not making any new models. we have to keep up with times - Bangkok has very colorful Toyota Corrollas as Taxis.
	() Thanks

17th October 2016, 07:08	#34
shankar.balan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,502 Thanked: 24,482 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (5)	Why dont they run a 'fair' contest to find the Top 100 or 200 best maintained old Fiat Cabs and then do a super engineering job and stuff in CNG engines into them? They can then set up an annual maintenance program and stringent tests to ensure quality (something like the British MoT Tests). That way these iconic taxis can run for some more years. And preserve the lovely heritage of these old Fiats in Mumbai! What a phenomenal advertisement value and boost this can give to Fiat India! They can do the same in Calcutta for the old Ambassador taxis. All these initiatives, (like the famous London Taxi) can be used to bolster Tourism in these Great Cities of India! We are probably the last Nation on Earth that has such numbers of these old cars running around and this can be converted into a massive publicity campaign, Benefiting tourism! And for guaranteed Rides let there be a proper ticketing system in place, along with an app (similar to Uber/ Ola). Maybe Uber or OLA can do this and progress this business idea with the kind of Capital they can invest!
	() Thanks