Adil Najam
All this talk of the London Taxi coming to Pakistan has sent me into a bout of nostalgia about the Tanga (anglicized by some to become a ‘Tonga’). Its still there, but fast on the way to extinction; especially after the arrival of the Qingqi (a ‘Qingqi’ is the poor man’s London Taxi; or what Tangas become with globalization; more on teh ‘Qingqi’ later).
I remember going to school on a tanga that worked kind of like a communal school bus; I wish my children can still ride on one before it disappears totally.
Adil Najam
Pakistan will soon have around 300 ‘London Taxicabs’ plying the streets of Islamabad and soon thereafter a plant will be established to manufacture these for export elsewhere. According to a story in The Daily Times (June 16, 2006) the government has allowed the duty-free import of 300 London Taxicabs on a ‘trial basis.’ The reported highlight is that these will be “equipped with modern gadgets such as satellite tracking.”
Excerpts of the The Daily Times (June 16, 2006) report:
The minister admitted that the London Taxi International (LTI) was shrinking its business in the UK due to heavy cost. The government has allowed duty-free import of 300 taxis (CBUs), while the Prime Transport Limited, a company owned by a US-based Pakistani will invest one billion US dollars for the setting up of an assembly plant of LTI at Gharo in Sindh… He said the company would provide affordable fare (Rs 11.20 per kilometer).
Mr Ghuman said that LTI plant will assemble 18,000 taxi cabs every year in Pakistan, out of which 9,000 taxi cabs would be exported. The export of 9000 taxi-cabs will fetch $2.8 billion every year, he added. The 2400 cc (2.4 liters diesel engine) London Tax priced at 42,000 pounds in the UK will be available at around 20,000 pounds in Pakistan, he added.
The Minister also announced that Dubai World (DW) will construct modern cities at Clifton Beach, Sandspit & Manora and Hawkesbay & Cape Mount in Karachi and that Daimler Chrysler, Volkswagen, Renault and Jetta will also set up plants in Pakistan.
On the London Taxicabs, however, I recall that their economics did not even work out when people tried to introduce them in New York, so I am skeptical about it working in the long term in Pakistan. Rs. 11.20 per kilometer sounds like a good rate but even 20,000 pounds (nearly $40,000) is a fortune for a Pakistani cab driver (given that most Pakistani taxis are self-owned or leased). Plus, if they can be sold for 42,000 pounds on the international market, where is the logic of selling them for 20,000 pounds in Pakistan. Anyhow, I do not have enough information yet to make a definitive determination but on the face it it looks a little too good to be true (expect for the tax-free break for the first imports, which is clearly a sweet deal).
Adil Najam
Once again one is hearing murmurs of India-Pakistan tensions emerging within the various discussions being held between the two countries. This is not unusual in the negotiation process; the good news is that we are talking. We must make sure that we keep doing so.
It is always useful if one can find some other way to ‘relieve’ these tensions. My favourite way of the two countries doing so has always been the Flag Raising Ceremony at the Wagha Border (near Lahore and Amritsar).
The choreographed display of nationalistic anger is quite a sight to watch; nearly a work of art! If you never seen it, make sure to do so the next time you are in the area. For a preview see the video clip below:
Click on the arrow in the center of the image below:
