Just when we were beginning to enjoy Bombay, they're back. The day and a half taxis kept off roads, there was less visible pollution, less noise, less traffic. Assuming each taxi to be about 3 m in length, and that at any given time half the 30,000 operational taxis are parked, Bombay had an additional 45 kms of parking space.

The strike emphasised how much damage taxis cause to the city. The government's capitulation is not just unfortunate; it is totally misguided. Our cabbies seem to think they have an overarching right to adulterate fuel, to use decrepit engines, to spew thick clouds of noxious fumes, that their right to a livelihood can be at the cost of our right to breathe.

The questions raised by Mr A L Quadros, their Union leader why Mr Lal permits registration of private diesel 137D cars and why only taxis are being targetted are, of course, little more than idle posturing. Quadros knows the answer: there are far fewer private diesel cars. Most private diesel car owners have an interestin maintaining their vehicles. Taxi owners, with vehicles hypothecated to a bank, have no interest other than squeezing the maximum possible running out of the vehicle. Most private owners don't need to adulterate fuel; taxis do it regularly for it shaves off their overheads. It's not a question of exclusion. Mr Lal is not targetting ONLY taxis; he is just targetting them first for in numbers and the degree of damage they cause, they're the worst polluters.

A public servant, trying to do his job honestly, finds himself hamstrung by politicians whose vision seldom extends beyond tomorrow. Mr Lal needs our support and, with Bombay's `winter' approaching with all that it portends (chiefly, smog inversion), he needs it badly. Sending Mr Lal numbers of errant (read polluting) taxis and vehicles, including private vehicles will allow him to deploy the information to finesse a weak-kneed government. The next step might be to install a regime of economic disadvantage for polluting. But is this going to be enough?If Mr Lal succeeds, will he rest at that? He should not. There are others who are culpable too. Let's not forget the belching trucks, private and public transport buses, BMC vehicles, garbage vans, school buses and, many vehicles used by our police force and, certainly, ill-maintained private vehicles.

-- Gautam Patel, gasp@vsnl.com, patel@bom3.vsnl.net.in