When yellow-black taxis cruised the roads of Madras

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Taxis parked outside Central railway station in May 1972. Unlike the autorickshaws, Madras does not seem to have struggled with regulating the fares in taxis. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

The story of Madras automobiles and the manner in which they seeded the local automobile and automobile component industry is too well known to write about. However, despite being an automobile hub, taxis as a means of transport hardly caught on here. On the other hand, they were integral features of life in Bombay and Calcutta. The Fiat taxis of Bombay and the Ambassadors of Calcutta were fixtures in those cities post-Independence.

When did the first taxi service come to Madras? Late in the 1920s, I guess. A city almanac I have of 1933 lists thirteen taxi service companies. S Muthiah in his Getting India on the Move, the 150 Year Saga of Simpsons of Madras , adds five more names between 1935 and 1937. All of them seem to have used Chevrolet Standard Sedans. In the post-Independence era, Madras saw more taxis of its local brand – the Standard 10 and Herald. Both were made by Standard Motors. Prior to this there were also the Baby Austins. They gave rise to the concept of baby taxis – smaller in size and so costing less as per meter.

Unlike the autorickshaws, Madras does not seem to have struggled with regulating the fares in taxis. But the idea of asking extra over the meter must have existed, for in the classic 1966 film Sadhu Mirandal , Nagesh, as the taxi driver, keeps demanding it. The taxi in that film is practically in every frame, and through it, we get to see many parts of Madras, developed, developing, and undeveloped.

But of what make was the taxi itself? Opinions are divided between Chevrolet Fleetmaster and Standard Vanguard. I think it is the former as it can be gauged from the hood ornament. But the print on YouTube is grainy and so the doubt continues. Incidentally, the film itself is based on a murder that took place in Madras, in a taxi! In the issue of April 14, 2023 of The Hindu , there was an article tracing the cabbies as portrayed in Hindi cinema. There does not seem enough equivalent content in Tamil. No hero whipped up hysteria as a taxi driver! That was for the rickshaws – cycle and auto.

Prepaid yellow and black taxis lined up outside the Chennai airport. From a vlog by The Hindu dated August 21, 2023, we come to know that the colours yellow and black were mandated for taxis effective March 5, 1960. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj

From a vlog by The Hindu dated August 21, 2023, we come to know that the colours yellow and black were mandated for taxis effective March 5, 1960. Taxi drivers were expected to wear khakhi, sport a cap, and be trained in first aid. They had to maintain trip sheets as well. Meters apparently had come in as early as 1940.

A reminiscence in Madras Musings dating to 2023 by E.S. Vaidyanathan has it that taxi drivers could have their quirks.