Don’t panic, taxis will be right as rain

More private cabs, chauffeurs armed with umbrellas... city's private cabs plan to give you a smooth ride come hell or high water

Don't panic, taxis will be right as rain

More private cabs, chauffeurs armed with umbrellas... city's private cabs plan to give you a smooth ride come hell or high water

The rains are just around the corner, and so are fear and anxiety. What you can look forward to is a safe ride in a private cab. These companies are not only adding to their fleet in preparation for the monsoons, but also have a whole array of tricks to ensure a smooth ride for Mumbaikars.

The frills

Said Arun Sabnis, CEO, Gold Cabs, "We have ordered for 500 SX4 Maruti cars this monsoon, as the cars we use right now won't be able to sustain the monsoon. By August, we will have almost 2,000 cabs on the streets. To make the drive even better, our chauffeurs will be provided with umbrellas to escort passengers to the doorstep." The cabs will be equipped with torches, umbrellas, tissue papers and life jackets. And to top it all, the frills come at no extra cost to the commuter.

Call when stuck

SAFE RIDE: This monsoon, Mumbai's private cabs will be equipped with torches, umbrellas, tissue papers at no extra cost. The driver will also escort you to your doorstep with an umbrella

The Mumbai Taximen's Union, however, has no plans to increase the number of cabs. "We have 55,000 cabs, which will be enough for Mumbai. We have tied up with a radio station that will let us know if any commuter is stuck and needs a cab urgently," revealed A L Quadros, general secretary of the union. Quadros stated that the union is going to appeal to all cabbies to cooperate with passengers stuck during the monsoon.

For all that, the plans have elicited mixed responses from passengers. Manthan Shah, a student and event organiser, said, "With all these additional facilities, it will be great to travel in these private cabs this monsoon."

But Prashant Golecha, a resident of Malad, feels the luxurious cabs will be of no use during monsoon, as they will lead to more congestion. "Autos can be pushed if needed, but cabs may get stuck," he said.

Number of cabs on road
Black and yellow: 55,000
Mega Cab: 126
Gold Cab: 200
Meru Cabs: 1,250

The BEST option
With 3,600 BEST buses on the roads, BEST has no plans to increase its fleet for the rains. However, BEST will, according to chairman Pravin Chheda, "Make sure that the frequency of buses is good and design special routes."

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