Airliners-India.com Flickr Group & Facebook    FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  Mumbai's iconic Premier Padmini Taxis being phased out?          Airliners-India.com Forum Index -> Non Aviation View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message The_Goat Member Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 3260 Location: South of France Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 12:06 am    Post subject: Mumbai's iconic Premier Padmini Taxis being phased out? http://www.tehelka.com/the-little-motor-that-could/ Is this really true? There were several around even last year when I visited. Didn't seem to be going away soon! Anyway, if true, Mumbai will never be the same again. I cannot imagine Mumbai without those Padminis. Sad to see 'em go! _________________ I don't know which is the more pampered bunch : AI's widebodies (the aunties) or Jet's widebodies (the planes). -Jasepl Back to top jbalonso777 Member Joined: 05 Jul 2012 Posts: 1501 Location: Never, never land Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 12:57 am    Post subject: Well, the numbers are certainly decreasing. Its easy to find non-Padmini cabs these days. I will be going in a weeks time, so I'll update you with what the current scene is. True that Mumbai won't look very Mumbai with those taxis. Whenever the word 'Mumbai' pops into my head, lots of people and Padmini taxis are the first things which come in mind. Edit - It says its going to be out by 1st of August. I need to get one final ride in those :O Regards Jish _________________ http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777 Back to top ssbmat Member Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 1710 Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 7:06 am    Post subject: After (now) driving far more comfortable and larger cars in India, I really get puzzled at how did I and my family indeed ever travel in tinpot contraptions like the Padmini in my early years. Even the Tata Nano is far more comfortable inside than the Padmini. And when I pose these questions to my family, my father gives this long look and says , those were the days when people stayed "together", and 5 in a cramped car did not matter. People had fewer means and adjusted more. Today you folks are living this highly "individual" lives, and have far more money, so your requirements have changed".. Back to top Spiderguy252 Member Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 4259 Location: Indian Ocean Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 10:39 pm    Post subject: What are the primary replacements? Indicas? _________________ Yeah. Back to top sabya99 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2011 Posts: 1399 Location: New Jersey/CCU Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:13 am    Post subject: Yes, I had to take Padminis several times in the past to transfer between Sahar and Santa Cruz terminals. These cabs are small like match box, very little space for luggage. I wonder how such cabs were used as taxi in the first place. Now I think how comfortable old Ambassadors cabs are. Long live Amby!! _________________ Sabya99 Back to top Nimish Member Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 9757 Location: Bangalore, India Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:34 am    Post subject: ssbmat wrote: I really get puzzled at how did I and my family indeed ever travel in tinpot contraptions like the Padmini in my early years. The Padmini was really a drivers delight. That gear shift at the steering - how can I ever forget it and the difficulty going to 3rd gear on that. Having to hunt in the whole wild world before the gear engaged. I learnt driving on the Padmini and the feel you got was far more "intimate" than today's cars - you had to literally stand on the brake to get it to work, the steering had enough play that you can move it almost 45deg before it "engaged", the gear was a delight to play with. And the noises! I remember once many many decades ago when most cars did not have air-conditioning. We used to take our padmini up the hills and did a lot of road travel. The car always used to get overheated going up the hills, and then we'd have the relaxed time near a small concrete tub of water - waiting for the engine to cool down. With this experience, when I heard that a friend had an aircon installed on their car, my first question was "does it face in the car, or does it face the engine" . Clearly they were not amused... _________________ We miss you Nalini! Back to top The_Goat Member Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 3260 Location: South of France Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:06 pm    Post subject: Nimish wrote: The Padmini was really a drivers delight. That gear shift at the steering - how can I ever forget it and the difficulty going to 3rd gear on that. Having to hunt in the whole wild world before the gear engaged. I learnt driving on the Padmini and the feel you got was far more "intimate" than today's cars - you had to literally stand on the brake to get it to work, the steering had enough play that you can move it almost 45deg before it "engaged", the gear was a delight to play with. And the noises! True, it is a tough little car. Even I learnt my driving in one. I still remember how it would struggle to get above 70 km/hr, even on a highway at top gear. But like the Amby, it was a car that was really designed for Indian conditions. sabya99 wrote: Now I think how comfortable old Ambassadors cabs are. Long live Amby!! My favourite Indian car is still the Amby. That is another tough one. You cannot even compare it with the recycled juice cans that pass off as cars nowadays. and unlike the Padmini, it is still very much under production. One cool car that! jbalonso777 wrote: True that Mumbai won't look very Mumbai with those taxis. Whenever the word 'Mumbai' pops into my head, lots of people and Padmini taxis are the first things which come in mind. True that. Along with the suburban trains and BEST buses, it is very much a symbol of Mumbai. spiderguy wrote: What are the primary replacements? Indicas? Hyundai Santros I believe. The ultimate recycled coke can _________________ I don't know which is the more pampered bunch : AI's widebodies (the aunties) or Jet's widebodies (the planes). -Jasepl Last edited by The_Goat on Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:17 pm; edited 1 time in total Back to top himmat01 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:16 pm    Post subject: I too learnt driving on the Padmini. Loved the front gears. Getting into the reverse gear was always a problem. By the time, I got a license, dad had switched over to the newly launched Maruti 800. So never really got to drive the Padmini. _________________ Save Maharashtra! Back to top sumantra Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:39 pm    Post subject: Nimish wrote: The Padmini was really a drivers delight... Nimish - that was an awesome write-up! Back to top sumantra Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:41 pm    Post subject: The_Goat wrote: True that. Along with the suburban trains and BEST buses, it is very much a symbol of Mumbai. I remember reading somewhere that when the design of the London buses owes its origins to the Britishers' original design for the Mumbai BEST buses. Is that true? Cheers, Sumantra. Back to top ssbmat Member Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 1710 Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:55 pm    Post subject: himmat01 wrote: I too learnt driving on the Padmini. Loved the front gears. Getting into the reverse gear was always a problem. By the time, I got a license, dad had switched over to the newly launched Maruti 800. So never really got to drive the Padmini. BTW, I too cut my teeth into the Padmini.but then after driving newer cars, I hesitate to climb into one..heck I cant even get into one properly w-o banging my head or knee.. And BTW, the Santro is anything but a juice can..esp the early models.. It is also a tough little car.. I drove many thousands of kms on all kinds of roads..not even a single rattle from the body. Back to top jbalonso777 Member Joined: 05 Jul 2012 Posts: 1501 Location: Never, never land Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 2:01 pm    Post subject: July 15th, and still a large fleet of these going around. I travelled on one, felt good Regards Jish _________________ http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777 Back to top The_Goat Member Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 3260 Location: South of France Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 3:04 pm    Post subject: jbalonso777 wrote: July 15th, and still a large fleet of these going around. I travelled on one, felt good Regards Jish Good to know that. Maybe they should keep some of the Padminis post-retirement as legacy vehicles. Like London has done with the Routemaster double deckers. _________________ I don't know which is the more pampered bunch : AI's widebodies (the aunties) or Jet's widebodies (the planes). -Jasepl Back to top sumantra Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:05 pm    Post subject: The_Goat wrote: Like London has done with the Routemaster double deckers. Fine...but those older Fairway taxis must go! The unique feature of the older Fairways is their non-existent suspension, which gives the passenger a unique `feel' of the surface (transport). Cheers, Sumantra. Back to top vivekman Member Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 1897 Location: BOM Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:07 pm    Post subject: Although I have fond memories of the Premier Padmini taxis, I am happy to see them go. They are filthy, noisy, uncomfortable, and a pain in the a*se (literally) to travel in! All those who had Premier Padminis as personal cars might have had a different experience because of proper maintenance and upkeep, but the Bombay taxis are shitty. Period. Good riddance I would say! Now, the cars that replace them are another problem - Santros, Omnis and even Altos! These cars are tiny and not at all taxi material. There is barely enough space to sit - let alone carry luggage. But expecting the government, and the taxi unions to think of passenger comfort is like expecting a pig to fly... _________________ Boeing makes planes. Airbus makes videogames! Back to top jbalonso777 Member Joined: 05 Jul 2012 Posts: 1501 Location: Never, never land Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:08 pm    Post subject: vivekman wrote: Although I have fond memories of the Premier Padmini taxis, I am happy to see them go. They are filthy, noisy, uncomfortable, and a pain in the a*se (literally) to travel in! The pain in the a*se is because of the roads. I took a cab from Nariman Point to Peddar Road (overshot my destination by a lot!), and despite the driver doing his best to avoid the bumps (and potholes), the ride was quite bad. It was a new-ish Santro. And for me, its not a pain in the a*se, in fact, it damages my spine much much more. Yeah I have that weird belt around my lower back right now. So much for a holiday all alone! Regards Jish _________________ http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777 Back to top Spiderguy252 Member Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 4259 Location: Indian Ocean Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 12:13 pm    Post subject: vivekman wrote: Now, the cars that replace them are another problem - Santros, Omnis and even Altos! These cars are tiny and not at all taxi material. There is barely enough space to sit - let alone carry luggage. But expecting the government, and the taxi unions to think of passenger comfort is like expecting a pig to fly... Don't reckon there are too many other options from the hatchback market in India unfortunately. _________________ Yeah. Back to top sabya99 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2011 Posts: 1399 Location: New Jersey/CCU Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 6:27 am    Post subject: Ambassador ranked the world's best taxi Press Trust of India | Updated: July 21, 2013 12:45 IST http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/ambassador-ranked-the-world-s-best-taxi-394996?pfrom=home-topstories New Delhi/Kolkata: It may have lost out to the more modern competitors from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda but the good old Ambassador car, which once ruled the roost in India, has just been voted as the world's best taxi by global automotive programme Top Gear. _________________ Sabya99 Back to top sumantra Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:55 am    Post subject: Spiderguy252 wrote: Don't reckon there are too many other options from the hatchback market in India unfortunately. Are we forgetting the Indica family? The suspension is very good, and the vehicles, quite sturdy, and reliable. Cheers, Sumantra. Back to top jbalonso777 Member Joined: 05 Jul 2012 Posts: 1501 Location: Never, never land Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:33 am    Post subject: sabya99 wrote: New Delhi/Kolkata: It may have lost out to the more modern competitors from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda but the good old Ambassador car, which once ruled the roost in India, has just been voted as the world's best taxi by global automotive programme Top Gear. This is actually according to a really random race. It was basically Touring Car Champions fight on a dirt track, carnage all over. The yellow and black Ambassador crossed the finish line first, avoiding most of the disasters, therefore Richard Hammond called it the world's best taxi. Its actually a very funny segment! Regards Jish _________________ http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777 Back to top abhijith16 Member Joined: 14 Sep 2010 Posts: 1575 Location: DOH/IXE/MEL Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:24 am    Post subject: jbalonso777 wrote: vivekman wrote: Although I have fond memories of the Premier Padmini taxis, I am happy to see them go. They are filthy, noisy, uncomfortable, and a pain in the a*se (literally) to travel in! The pain in the a*se is because of the roads. I took a cab from Nariman Point to Peddar Road (overshot my destination by a lot!), and despite the driver doing his best to avoid the bumps (and potholes), the ride was quite bad. It was a new-ish Santro. And for me, its not a pain in the a*se, in fact, it damages my spine much much more. Yeah I have that weird belt around my lower back right now. So much for a holiday all alone! Regards Jish I agree. Ambassador cars are awesome, however riding them in Mumbai is just horrible. I remember getting hit by the roof of the car more than 5 times on the way to the airport. _________________ <a><img></a> Back to top sumantra Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:11 pm    Post subject: The Ambassador is an awesome vehicle unless one is driving it. Some of the newer models (and some pieces of the Mark III - ironically) have a good suspension, are comfortable because of the shape, which also adds to the efficiency of the AC, if the car is equipped with one. The Indica family on the other hand, is a much more modern piece of equipment with a superb suspension, excellent engine choices, and very comfortable - the Indigo XL make superb cabs. The Manza is excellent, too. Cheers, Sumantra. Back to top Spiderguy252 Member Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 4259 Location: Indian Ocean Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:47 pm    Post subject: jbalonso777 wrote: sabya99 wrote: New Delhi/Kolkata: It may have lost out to the more modern competitors from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda but the good old Ambassador car, which once ruled the roost in India, has just been voted as the world's best taxi by global automotive programme Top Gear. This is actually according to a really random race. It was basically Touring Car Champions fight on a dirt track, carnage all over. The yellow and black Ambassador crossed the finish line first, avoiding most of the disasters, therefore Richard Hammond called it the world's best taxi. Its actually a very funny segment! Regards Jish But really, TopGear is all staged anyway. Shouldn't read too much into that. _________________ Yeah. Back to top jbalonso777 Member Joined: 05 Jul 2012 Posts: 1501 Location: Never, never land Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 9:42 am    Post subject: This is getting very off topic now. I apologize sumantra wrote: The Indica family on the other hand, is a much more modern piece of equipment with a superb suspension, excellent engine choices, and very comfortable - the Indigo XL make superb cabs. The Manza is excellent, too. Sir correct me if I'm wrong, but are the Indica/Indigo cars still being manufactured? Or have they been replaced by the Vista and Manza completely? I remember there was a stage when Tata branded them as 'Indica Vista' and 'Indigo Manza', but now I think the Indica and Indigo tags have fallen off. Spiderguy252 wrote: But really, TopGear is all staged anyway. Shouldn't read too much into that. Exactly what I'm saying: a really random race. I'm really surprised that NDTV actually reported this. Top Gear is only good for sports car analysis, and of course, the staged humour... Regards Jish _________________ http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777 Back to top abhijith16 Member Joined: 14 Sep 2010 Posts: 1575 Location: DOH/IXE/MEL Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 10:07 am    Post subject: jbalonso777 wrote: This is getting very off topic now. I apologize It's the non-av forum! Added advantages! _________________ <a><img></a> Back to top Spiderguy252 Member Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 4259 Location: Indian Ocean Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:13 am    Post subject: jbalonso777 wrote: Spiderguy252 wrote: But really, TopGear is all staged anyway. Shouldn't read too much into that. Exactly what I'm saying: a really random race. I'm really surprised that NDTV actually reported this. Top Gear is only good for sports car analysis, and of course, the staged humour... Not even that. I would go as far as to suggest that you needn't know a thing about cars at all, should you decide to watch that show. _________________ Yeah. Back to top HAWK21M Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 2:23 pm    Post subject: Was the santro the replacement. _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! Back to top sumantra Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 6:36 pm    Post subject: jbalonso777 wrote: Sir correct me if I'm wrong, but are the Indica/Indigo cars still being manufactured? Or have they been replaced by the Vista and Manza completely? I remember there was a stage when Tata branded them as 'Indica Vista' and 'Indigo Manza', but now I think the Indica and Indigo tags have fallen off. Happily, yes! The Tatas have even put in a CRDi Diesel engine option on the Indica V2, calling it the eV2. The Indigo CS (`compact sedan') with this variant is the eCS. The Indigo continues to be manufactured in the XL (`stretched limo') form as an excellent taxi - Meru cabs have quite a few of these, in addition to the somewhat non-selling `Marina' (the station wagon variant). The Indica Vista is a more-metal re-design, with many standard features, with the Manza being their top-of-the-line offering. There are very few Vista and Manza taxis, by the way. This family IMHO is the best option India has in terms of taxis - for passenger comfort, and general economical maintenance. Cheers, Sumantra. 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