Kolkata’s Classic Yellow Taxis Get a Modern Twist with WagonR
22 days ago | 5 Views
Snehasis Chakraborty, Transport Minister of West Bengal, recently flagged off the first fleet of new yellow taxis. Around 20 Maruti WagonR hatchbacks were inducted as part of Kolkata's new yellow taxi. The state government plans to put around 3,000 such cabs on the streets in the next two months.
The new cabs in Kolkata will be operated by a private firm called the NA Mobility Private Limited. It has rebadged the WagonR yellow taxis as Heritage Mobility. The company has tied up with Maruti Suzuki, India's largest car manufacturer, to deliver it with WagonR hatchbacks to be part of the fleet. WagonR is one of the most popular and highest selling models from the carmaker in India, which are also sold in the commercial segment.
Unlike the old yellow Ambassador cabs, the new WagonR taxis will come decked up with decals to offer a modern and attractive appearance. One can find the city's iconic landmarks like the Victoria Memorial and Howrah Bridge on the side of the cars. The company's name is also prominently displayed on the doors.
These new yellow taxis will run on both CNG and petrol. They will offer safety features like seat belts and airbags. The new cabs will also be available through an app called Yatri Sathi launched by the state government a few years ago.
The Ambassador yellow taxis have been part of Kolkata's heritage transport legacy which also offers trams. It is the only city where one can find both these modes of transport still in use offering a unique experience. For decades, the Ambassador yellow taxi has been in service as the only model used as cabs. It has also starred in several Bollywood movies in the past.
Until three years back, Kolkata had around 20,000 Ambassador cars plying as yellow taxis. However, after an order by the Calcutta High Court in 2009, the process to phase out commercial vehicles older than 15 years in the city began. Currently there are around 2,000 such yellow Ambassador taxis still in service.
Kolkata's iconic yellow taxis were launched with the Ambassador cars manufactured by now-defunct Hindustan Motors back in 1962. After seven decades, these taxis will last ply on the streets of Kolkata in 2027-28, by when the city administration plans to completely phase out the old vehicles.
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