Ambassadors that ran as taxis carrying tourists with majesty has now been cast aside. Its drivers say they have started changing loyalties to sedans since customers cringe to be driven in Ambassadors.
In Chennai airport alone, of 300 Ambassadors more than 140 vehicles have been replaced by Swift Dzire-2 cars.
Fifty-six-year-old Nazeer Ahmed says though he has driven several cars for 36 years, his favourite remains to be Ambassador. “Its comfort is unmatchable. I have shuttled with thousands of trips and not one passenger has complained. Only for the past year, things are beginning to change. But I will never give away my baby,” he says.
Some drivers say they switched to Swift Dzire as it fetches more mileage and rides, on a given day. S. Prabhakaran, a taxi driver at Chennai airport for five years says, “I plan to switch to the sedan in about four months. My friends driving Dzire make about Rs. 3,500 a day while with Ambassador I make only Rs. 2,000. While Ambassador gives a mileage of 16 km/hour, Swift Dzire gives about 20-25 km/hour a day. Passengers think Dzire has better air-conditioning and comfort,” he says.
Plus, getting the spares and repairing the Ambassador has become difficult, he adds.
Another driver G. Krishnan says foreign tourists prefer the Ambassador. “We don’t quite know why; but I have heard them say this is safer than the sedans. Last week, for instance, a Tata Indica hit my Ambassador; while the other vehicle’s dickey and bumper was damaged, there was not even a dent in my car’s bumper,” he says.
