Kaali peelis in city to have roof top indicators soon

From March 31, 2023, if you hail a kaali peeli its roof light can tell you if it is vacant, hired, or the driver wants to take a break. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has made it mandatory for all taxis in the city to install the colour-coded indicator before the deadline

Mumbai: From March 31, 2023, if you hail a kaali peeli its roof light can tell you if it is vacant, hired, or the driver wants to take a break. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has made it mandatory for all taxis in the city to install the colour-coded indicator before the deadline.

Mumbai, India - 2 Sept. 2015 : The black and yellow taxi observes strike against uber and ola cabs, The strike continues for the second day. All the taxi drivers line up at CST international airport, Andheri, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, September 2, 2015. (Photo by Pramod Thakur/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

“Having a roof top indicator will ensure fewer refusals from taxi drivers,” an MMRTA officer said.

The indicator will have green, red and white-coloured LED lights with writings in English and Marathi. Red indicates the vehicle is hired, while green says it is for hire and white stands for off duty.

The project, first proposed in 2012, gained momentum in January 2014 after the transport department issued a draft notification inviting suggestions and objections from people. However, the implementation was delayed for various reasons, including the pandemic.

The city has more than 40,000 kaali peelis of whom hardly 20,000 are currently plying on the roads.