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Now, you can convert all own-use cars as taxis in Tamil Nadu. The state government has allowed such cars (with white number plates), including luxury vehicles, to be converted as commercial vehicles. So far, only some models could be run as taxis.
From Friday, car owners, who are willing to use their vehicles as taxis, can obtain a motor or maxi cab permit from the respective Regional Transport Office (RTO) by paying the fee (625 to 1,150 depending on the number of seats) and submitting relevant documents. The permit will be valid for five years.
Once the RTO approves it, owners can change the colour of their number plate to yellow and operate their own taxi or travel services. Such vehicles will be subjected to annual fitness tests at RTOs. With this permit, car owners are free to fix their own fares. Earlier, this transfer option was available only for select car models.
People buying new cars can obtain taxi permits at registration. Experts say this move, aimed at addressing taxi shortage, could upset app-based cab aggregators like Ola and Uber, who charge exorbitant fares for short trips in city limits.
Transportation activist S Kamal said, “At present, commuters preferring taxis are at the mercy of aggregators. Once they have more options available in their neighbourhood, they could start booking them for long trips during weekends and holidays.”
There are nearly 34 lakh cars in Tamil Nadu and one-fourth (9 lakh) of them are in Chennai, says official data. But there are only 17,000 taxis registered in the city, which has over 10 million people.
State transport commissioner A Shanmugha Sundaram said, tourists who prefer luxury or high-end vehicles with more seats had to depend on vehicles from neighbouring states for which they were charged exorbitant fares. “This move, which will benefit tourists, will help in keeping taxi fares under check,” he said.
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