Kolkata: Kolkata’s iconic yellow taxis, a cherished symbol of the City of Joy, are entering a new era. In an effort to revive these classic vehicles, the state government, in partnership with a private company, has launched ‘Yellow Heritage Cabs’ to preserve their legacy while embracing modern transportation trends.
State Transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty, on Friday, flagged off a fleet of 20 such modernized cabs, marking the beginning of this initiative.
The transport secretary, Soumitra Mohan among other officials was also present on the occasion.
Christened ‘Yellow Heritage Cabs’, the fleet is likely to evoke the nostalgia and emotions surrounding the iconic yellow taxis which have been an integral part of Kolkata for many years.
According to a Transport department official 3,000 such cabs to hit the streets in two months. The private company has entered into an agreement with a leading automobile company to launch the new yellow taxis in the city.
All the taxis will have modern features, including seat belts and airbags, he said.
The taxis will run on CNG and petrol.
The cars will have images of the city’s iconic landmarks like the Victoria Memorial Hall and the Howrah Bridge on their bodies.
“These taxis can be booked with the government’s ‘Yatri Sathi’ app,” the official said.
The development comes in the wake of the imminent phasing out of yellow taxis as per the Calcutta High Court’s order in 2009.
It had said that commercial vehicles older than 15 years would not be allowed to ply in the Kolkata and Howrah under the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) area.
Less than 2,000 metered yellow taxis will be on the roads by the end of 2025, down from 20,000 even three years back. After 2027-28 all the old yellow taxis will stop plying.