Cars may soon become taxis

The transport department’s long-pending proposal to allow taxi permit owners to use any car of their choice is likely to be cleared soon. A meeting to reach a decision regarding this has been called by the state transport authority (STA).

A senior official of the transport department who spoke to DNA on the condition of anonymity, said that the department is keen to introduce luxurious models of cars as taxis.

Recently, a controversy arose regarding the induction of Santro cars as taxis. Since a specific clearance from the department for the induction of Santro had not been taken by the taxi owners, officials had claimed all Santro taxis could be forced off the city streets. Subsequently, in a separate meeting, a formal decision was taken to permit the car as a taxi.

Officials feel a blanket clearance to all new and better brands of cars could avoid such a situation again. There is one hiccup, though. The official said: “Drivers and owners might insist on modifying fares according to the price of the car.”

Taxi union leader Anthony Quadros responded, saying, “Let them first allow brands like Sx4, D’zire and i10 and i20. When we introduce brands like Mercedes and BMW, only then will we consider charging more. These new models will be added to the fleet of Cool Cabs. If the department is serious about wanting to see better quality of cars as taxis, they should clear the proposal.”