[prashanthyr]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I wonder how many people don't buy a Tata vehicle only because it is also used as a taxi. I bet the no. of people not choosing a Tata because of quality/reliability is much more than those who don't because there are taxi variants of that car.

As long as they fix that: bring out great products, make them reliable and have a premium build, they shouldn't have to worry about who's using them.

Couldn't agree more with you. If only they can get great products out on time rather than just these selective leaks, I would be happier as a shareholder and consumer.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by hserus

Well - the thing is, if and when a cop feels, he is quite likely to haul you up for operating a taxi without a license.

Apparently, the financial benefits of operating a private vehicle as taxi outweigh the risks you are talking about and so the practice flourishes all over the country.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I wonder how many people don't buy a Tata vehicle only because it is also used as a taxi. I bet the no. of people not choosing a Tata because of quality/reliability is much more than those who don't because there are taxi variants of that car. As long as they fix that: bring out great products, make them reliable and have a premium build, they shouldn't have to worry about who's using them.

Agreed!

[Nissan1180]

There is one aspect of the Taxi business in India that I do not understand.
In India, any car that is used as a Taxi earns a reputation of being cheap and undesirable (Toyotas are an exception).
In most developed parts of the world, the best vehicles are selected for commercial use- Merc. E class, VW Passat etc. The rationale behind using such vehicles is simple- the customer pays a high price for the ride, and he deserves to travel in comfort.
The reason Tata vehicles have earned a poor name (even in the Taxi market) is because of issues related to durability. I was talking to a driver who bought a Swift Dzire Tour recently in Kolkata. He had an Indigo in the past and said that Tata vehicles are abused because drivers feel that things would start falling apart in just 3 years Hence, they try to maximize the mileage in that short span of time and do not bother about timely maintenance.
According to him, this perception is behind the shoddy state of most Tata passenger vehicles (including the Manza) doing duty in the commercial segment.
The Dzire, on the other hand, is perceived as a long lasting vehicle. They drive more carefully, because they know that the car would last really long if they care for it.
Instead of preventing the vehicles from being commercially registered, a better approach for the company would be to conduct a training workshop for the fleet owners for making them realize how much the Manza has improved over the Indigo. When you give them the confidence that the car is designed to last for many years, you'll find that they are more careful about the way they drive.

[aniketi]

Just make a car in such a way that people will not use it much as a Taxi. Even if they do, it will be small in numbers. Make car in such a way that it will be looked as a car for personal buyers mainly. Look at cars like Swift, i20, Wagon R etc. These cars are bought by family only and they don't need to sell it as a taxi. Simple

[arunrajk81]

I remember there was similar comments from Tata way back when they launched Manza

Now I can see Green colour Manza as Meru cabs in Bangalore
Lets wait and see what happens to Bolt and Zest over next few years

-Arun

[Samba]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Look at cars like Swift, i20, Wagon R etc. These cars are bought by family only and they don't need to sell it as a taxi. Simple

Sir, Swift is not a hit in the taxi segment because of the cramped rear seat, I20 is a pricy car, in the price of a diesel i20, cab owners will buy a sedan and charge a premium. Regarding Wagon R its used as cabs and in the hills its one of the most hit car in the taxi segment. They fit lpg/cng and taxi drivers use Wagon R extensively in most of the hill station's in India.

Cab owners look for few things -
1) The car should be spacious.
2) It should be low on maintenance.
3) It should be reliable.
4) It should have a good resale value.
5) Spares and service should be easily available.

That's why even pricey cars like Innova , Altis are hit in both taxi and private car segment. Cab owners will never select a troublesome car. There whole income is based on the car, so they take the most practical decision. Many people think cars used as cab should be avoided. But i never think that way. In UK RollsRoyce is one of the most popular taxi! Abroad premium cars like Mercedes / Bmw /Audi and other premium cars are commonly used as taxi.

[Vigkey]

I am left wondering here. Does the manufacturer actually have a choice here?? The company definitely can decline to sell to fleet operators who buy in bulk (like Meru bought Logans).

But there are a lot of small time operators who can choose to buy 1 car at a time and expand their fleet slowly. They can buy any car and register it as a taxi. How can the manufacturer / dealer prevent one from doing that?? Can the dealer refuse to sell the car is the customer wants to register it as a taxi?? Is it lawful?? I am confused.

But the fact is I have seen almost all brands of cars in Yellow plates from right from a Nano to a Ferrari.

[navin_v8]

This sounds a bit harsh from Tata Motors of not selling their cars for the taxi market. It sounds like a saying in hindi, "Khud ke pair pe kuladhi maarna" English translation goes like, "hitting one's own leg with an axe". Tata Motors' passenger car division as a whole survives because of taxi and fleet operators IMHO. There are very few takers for their passenger vehicles compared to domestic and foreign manufacturers. Since I stay in Bombay I can see that every second office cab, tourist car, taxi is a Tata car. There is something wrong with the management up there in Tata who marketed Tata Nano as the cheapest car in the world which backfired miserably. Now they are putting themselves in jeopardy by stating their new passenger cars are not for taxi market. This is the very taxi market on whose backbone they've expanded and dished out sub-standard products so far.

Although the all new Zest and Bolt have shown some promising changes but yet have to prove themselves worthy of the competition in terms of long term ownership and the infamous niggles clubbed with Tata Motors' After Sales Service. Rather than putting up this statement Tata Motors should concentrate on quality and after sales. They have already taken a miserable beating in sales in the passenger car segment and are now facing new competition from domestic and foreign manufacturers in light and heavy commercial vehicles (read AMW, Bharat Benz, Eicher, M&M, Isuzu, Iveco, Hino, etc.). As I mentioned Tata Motors needs to concentrate on how to deliver quality and work towards changing their "unreliable car" image from peoples minds rather than adopting the new strategy of not selling new passenger cars to taxi market that they have outlined.

The Tata Indica is the best taxi simply because of the space in the backseat. plus like I keep saying it is the real SUV of India. goes anywhere. gives least trouble, is decent on mileage. beats the Santro anyday. Or the bumpy Wagon R. :-)

Using the Bolt as a taxi will mean only one thing India is getting ready to usher in the age of Mercedes taxis very soon :-)

[hserus]

Most taxi operators buy the Indica because it is cheap enough to be a use and throw vehicle, and while it lasts it requires little or no maintenance. Also, regardless of the TATA service network, which is abysmal, the Indica has plenty of roadside garages with experience in servicing it.

[ashis89]

Some proof to negate Tata's statement:

The very 2nd Zest that I laid my eyes on was a taxi with white plates (with eCabs.biz sticker pasted on it). I thought it was a one-off case as all the other Zests I saw on road were private registrations. Yesterday I had been sight-seeing to Bhitarkanika. On the way back, while crossing the township of Kendrapada at night I saw this shining black Zest XT on the road and felt very happy. As it crossed I looked for those beautiful LED tail lamps and I found a bold number plate in yellow with the writing "ALL INDIA PERMIT".

[Aditya]

Tata Motors has disclosed that it will continue to cater to the commercial segment, but with different brands and products to the ones it sells to private buyers. It wants specific brands in the commercial segment and specific brands in the private segment.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

[Swapnil4585]

I am somewhat skeptical about the benefit of this decision, in as much as pushing the sales of new products like Zest, Bolt, etc.
I think this decision, fundamentally a right decision, should've been taken prior to implementing of the Horizonext policy. It would have given them a free hand to design the Zest and Bolt, thereby allowing themselves to completely remove the remnants of the Indica image in their new products.
Now they have a long battle at hands. Whatever paltry sales they are effecting, they have to keep the customers extremely happy with the after sales service. Because these small number of private buyers only are going to spread the word.

[anand.shankar]

Right Move, they should segregate their commercial models from the others.

For some manufacturers it doesn't really matter, nor impacts but for Tata it sure does. They should have infact done this while they introduced the Vista/Manza itself.