Taxis

This was on my first trip to Myanmar. Visas were limited to 7 days, and there were restricted places for touring. This was mainly lack of infrastructure, not politics. Most signs in English had been removed. The surprise is that the taxis are labelled in English; those numberplates appear to be letters, not numerals. I had to learnt to be fluent in Burmese numerals. The two Austins appear to A40 Somerset models. The ute version was made in Australia, not UK. The others appear to be various Japanese models, probably obtained cheaply because of the compulsory retirement of old vehicles in Japan (Sri Lanka is another beneficiary; AFAIK NZ is another market, probably Fiji, now the argument rages in Australia).
I arrived at Shwenyaung at 17.38 by train, and boarded a hilite taxi at 17.38 for a 60 min ride into Taunggyi: two passengers in front; 12 in the longitudinal-seat rear; luggage on the front. I got the middle-front seat.
Taunggyi is a major city, capital of a state, a tourist centre for Lake Inle. The photo appears to be next morning, while I was catching a minibus direct to Thazi.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

870923W Taunggyi (Myanmar), old & modern taxis.

The second and third ute from the left are Datsun 1200s ... Where I did my time we had 3 of them as callout rigs ... Bloody near impossible to kill them ... And we tried have seen a fan to flywheel 3208 Cat engine carted in the back of one with the front tyre only just touching the ground

W.A.G.

Fiat

F ix I t A gain T ony

cya

Thanks 'Swishy', that was prompt and helpful, in turn leading to this background:
www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/1660.shtml

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

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Tips

Jist back pedlin a bit here

But could B a

Checker Cab made by CHECKER MOTORS CORPORATION

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cya

Vienna's Westbahnhof train station with the usual suspects. Just visible is the coach to the airport.

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Since the age of tailfins ended, I can't tell one make from another.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

100315M San Francisco (California, USA). Taxi. R Smith.

Only a link to an open-access site; it is not my photo.
Valiant taxi, 1969.
< tdu.to/a43981/52_MaribyrnongRd_Oct1969.jpg> ;

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

100316Tu Portland (Oregon, USA). Ford taxi & another (also Ford?). R Smith.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

A Renault 4CV (c1950) as a taxi, on display at Young motor show (NSW) is the 18th photo in this slide set (from 'Heyseed'):

http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q552/heyseed/Young%20car%20Show/DSCN1069_zpswchk9a9r.jpg?274/


Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor