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According to road rules, a light commercial vehicle is one that can carry three to six passengers. Until now, such vehicles with taxi permits were only allowed to be painted white.
Yellow taxis first hit Kolkata’s streets in 1962, using the beloved Hindustan Motors Ambassador.(Photo: Drivespark)
Kolkata’s famous yellow taxis are here to stay, but they might not all be Ambassador cars anymore.
Having said that, the state government has allowed all light commercial vehicles with taxi permits to be painted yellow, as per TOI.
A ‘light commercial vehicle’ is any vehicle that can carry between three and six passengers. Until now, these vehicles could only be painted white if they had a taxi permit. However, under a new rule introduced by transport secretary Saumitra Mohan, the government has responded to calls for more flexibility in vehicle colour schemes.
Yellow taxis, first introduced in 1962 with Hindustan Motors’ Ambassador cars, have long been a part of Kolkata’s transport history. Once known as the “kings of the road” for their reliability and charm, the number of these taxis has dwindled sharply, from 18,000 a decade ago to just 7,000 in 2024.
With 4,493 vehicles set to be phased out this year due to the 15-year service limit, fewer than 3,000 yellow taxis will remain by the end of 2025. The 15-year age limit, imposed after a 2008 Calcutta High Court order, was introduced to meet green standards but also brought an end to the Ambassador, the last of which was made in 2014.
Furthermore, yellow taxis have struggled to compete with app-based cab services, which offer more convenience, affordability, and tech advancements such as GPS tracking and dynamic pricing.
Experts see the government’s decision as a good balance between preserving Kolkata’s cultural heritage and adapting to the needs of modern transport.
The new rules also allow firms or individuals registering 20 or more vehicles in a month to customise their taxis with unique colours, logos, or rooftop designs, with the approval of the transport department.
