[1100D]

Originally Posted by Rtech

Also, I believe that the regular black/yellow taxi unions have made sure that these private taxi services cannot roam the streets looking for fares.

Yes you can Hail a Meru, just look at the light on top.

[shekharlele]

Hi Guys,

Answers to some FAQs

1. When does the meter start ticking?
A. Only when you have boarded the cab. They do not charge for having to come to pick you up presumably because they may be planning their cab routes accordingly (using GPS, I guess)

2. Do they charge for waiting? What happens if you get a lot of traffic?
A. They work just like other metered cabs, they charge Rs. 30 for every hour of waiting, so if you take 15 mins. more because of traffic, you pay Rs. 7.50 additional. The total wait time will reflect in your receipt

3. Do I necessarily have to book 4 hrs. in advance?
A. That's what they say, but I have booked about 1.5 hrs in advance and have been able to get the cab.

4. Are the meters really tamper proof?
A. On speaking to one of the cab drivers, I understood that the drivers themselves are paid a fixed sum of Rs. 6,400 per month hence the drivers do not have any interest in rigging the meters. Also, every time you get a receipt, it easier for you to compare the cost with your last trip (especially if it is on the same route at the same time, like say returning from office)

Hope this answers some of your queries.

[Mpower]

Can some one give a comparison on how the costs compare with the regular black and yellow cabs.

Also do these Merus run on LPG?

[Rtech]

Can some one give a comparison on how the costs compare with the regular black and yellow cabs.

A gold cab costs me Rs.350 from my home to the airport. A regular Black/yellow jalopy costs Rs.300 for the same trip at the same time of day. I willingly pay the extra Rs.50.

[SohailPistawala]

In some old Issue of this famous Magazine called Time-out, i read about Cab's for the females, driven by the females....
Forsche - The ‘ladies only’ cab service at WheelSpeak
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Mumbai's women-only taxi service

There is no number listed on the same.... but will try to get that .....

[Sam Kapasi]

Here's what I know of Meru cabs. I believe it has something to do with Reliance. (this could be wrong)

Call the number and you will be asked to wait for X time. The time may vary from 30 to 45 minutes but they are on time.
They will ask you for your home/ flat number.

If the driver has your mobile number, he will call you to tell you he has arrived. Unfortunately he will have to use his personal mobile for now. If the driver has no mobile, he may come up to your home and ring the bell. Meru is arranging for all cars to have a phone and a credit card machine shortly.

Insist on a receipt after you pay.

While it is not necessary to tip the drivers, a tip will be appreciated, if you are happy (for example, if the driver climbed up to your home and rang the bell to tell you he had arrived)

I am both pleased and proud.

[1100D]

Whats the rate per km?

[khanak]

Originally Posted by SohailPistawala

In some old Issue of this famous Magazine called Time-out, i read about Cab's for the females, driven by the females....
Forsche - The ‘ladies only’ cab service at WheelSpeak
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Mumbai's women-only taxi service

There is no number listed on the same.... but will try to get that .....

Yup, saw one of their cabs on Peddar Road, I think it was a white Wagon R.

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by Hellcat

I wish someday we get such good service in Bangalore.

Hellcat

Hey, Bangalore does have City Taxi cabs on Call. I found them to be quite useful and prompt.?yeah ,they don't have GPS and stuffs like that but they also run on Digital meters and I never felt cheated yet.
Regards
Kaushik

[Ram]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Whats the rate per km?

Rs. 13 per km plus a flat start price of Rs. 2.

[Ram]

In Mumbai, the Red FM stereo (93.5 MHz) station has painted and outfitted some "Mumbai Gold" taxis for their new show 'Taxi 93.5', which has taxi drivers giving traffic updates to listeners.

I shot this pic on my Nokia N73, this wet Tuesday morning
at Chembur, while enroute to Pune.

Red FM stereo channel has an on-the-air traffic update facility. The cab drivers are paid, to phone in and inform the radio station of local Mumbai traffic conditions.

Ram

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Also do these Merus run on LPG?

CNG: Meru cabs to extend services till suburbs - Yahoo! India News

[1100D]

Originally Posted by ram

In Mumbai, the Red FM stereo (93.5 MHz) station has painted and outfitted some "Mumbai Gold" taxis for their new show 'Taxi 93.5', which has taxi drivers giving traffic updates to listeners.

I shot this pic on my Nokia N73, this wet Tuesday morning
at Chembur, while enroute to Pune.

Red FM stereo channel has an on-the-air traffic update facility. The cab drivers are paid, to phone in and inform the radio station of local Mumbai traffic conditions.

Ram

This taxi looks like it is running away from being caught in the wierd and whacky mod jobs thread!

Starting flat rate is 20 (for the first KM?)

Kolkata cab fares are like this Rs20 for the first 2 kms - Rs 9 for every subsequent km (it actually is Rs 1.8 for every subsequent 200 mts)

For a 10km ride Kolkata cab will cost Rs 92
Wheras at this rate for these cabs it will be Rs 137.

What are the normal cab rates in Mumbai?

[Ram]

Originally Posted by 1100D

This taxi looks like it is running away from being caught in the wierd and whacky mod jobs thread!

Actually the taxi is stopped with its brake lights on. It is not running away. I caught it didn't I?
And , I was wondering what the boxy plastic structure on the boot lid is for. I guess the advertiser just needed a big vertical rectangular billboard facing the approaching vehicles, which was designed to be safe even at 100 km/h.

Originally Posted by 1100D

Starting flat rate is 20 (for the first KM?)

Starting flat rate is Rs. 15 for the first km and Rs. 13 for every km. later.

I lived in Kolkata in 2001. Creature comforts in the Kolkata taxis used to be quite poor. They smelled of diesel fuel. Driven by slovenly rurals. The taxis had dents and craters and smashed tail lights. It seemed that nobody ever repaired them.

Once while driving along Park Street from Asiatic Society to Park Circus, I tried to find a single taxi with brake lights that worked. There were none! Don't know how much has changed in the last six years.

Originally Posted by 1100D

Kolkata cab fares are like this Rs20 for the first 2 kms - Rs 9 for every subsequent km (it actually is Rs 1.8 for every subsequent 200 mts)

For a 10km ride Kolkata cab will cost Rs 92

The lightly perfumed, airconditioned and GPS-equipped new Esteems and Marinas of Mumbaigold and Meru are a far cry from those Kolkata cabs.

A 10 km ride in a Meru or Mumbaigold costs (1*15)+(9*13) = 132. And you'll get a printed receipt.

Originally Posted by 1100D

What are the normal cab rates in Mumbai?

There are non-a/c normal cabs (black and yellow) which charge
Rs. 13 for the first 1.6 km and Rs. 8 for every additional km.
So a 10.6 km trip will cost Rs. 85.

And then there are the airconditioned Cool Cabs (blue and silver) which charge Rs. 18 for the first 1.6 km and Rs. 11 for every additional km. So a 10.6 km trip will cost Rs. 117.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by ram

I lived in Kolkata in 2001. Creature comforts in the Kolkata taxis used to be quite poor. They smelled of diesel fuel. Driven by slovenly rurals. The taxis had dents and craters and smashed tail lights. It seemed that nobody ever repaired them.

Once while driving along Park Street from Asiatic Society to Park Circus, I tried to find a single taxi with brake lights that worked. There were none! Don't know how much has changed in the last six years.

Not much has changed, but the taxi's somehow have an air of better maintenance. HM's policy of taking old cars for new seemed to have helped. But when these go older we will be back to the same point.

However, faces like the one above is rarely to be seen these days. Faces like him are actually more respected than most of the faces that can be seen these days from a neighbouring state and I guess you know the result of what that means. However most locals are averse to to Taxi driving as that is considered a lowly profession, they drive autos and busses (creating far greater havoc) as a result of patronising the Unions.