India’s disappearing taxis

The Premier Padmini was manufactured in India by Premier Automobiles from 1964 to 2000.

The vehicle quickly became the iconic workhorse in Mumbai’s fleet of black and yellow taxis until economic liberalization in the 1990s which allowed other models to be produced in India. Local media estimates put Mumbai’s current taxi fleet at about 51,000 vehicles, of which it is estimated that about 8,000 vehicles are over 25 years old.
With a government order banning taxis over 25 years old, the number of Premier Padmini taxis has begun to dwindle and, in a few years, they will be gone from Mumbai’s streets altogether.