Mumbai, June 28 -- Nearly half of Mumbai's taxis have been off the streets for a month for failing to update the unique identification number (UIN) of their speed governors. As a result, these taxis have failed to obtain the fitness certificate that allows them to ply on the streets. There are 18,000 taxis registered in Mumbai, of which 15,000 ply at any given point. Cabbies point out that they should not be punished for a new administrative regulation which mandates that they produce a 16-digit UIN, not the eight or 12-digit numbers assigned to speed governors prior to 2024. The new regulation was rolled out by the Union ministry of road transport and highways a couple of months ago, catching Mumbai's taxi drivers off-guard and leaving them with little or no recourse. All commercial vehicles including taxis were directed to be fitted with speed governors, a device that restricts the speed of the vehicle to 80kmph, in 2017-18. The UIN then assigned to the device was either an eight- or a 12-digit number. It is only speed governors fitted in 2024 and after that have the required 16-digit UIN. "Taxis that have older speed governors, with a shorter code, are being told by the RTOs to install new devices, which cost Rs.9,000. This is more than double the cost of the ones fitted earlier," said Iqbal Singh, member, Mumbai Taxi Association. Sources said that taxis up to eight years old must pass a fitness test every two years to stay on the streets. Vehicles older than these must be checked at the RTOs every year. The new rule has kept half the taxi fleet off the roads. Sunil Gupta, a permit holder and driver from Tardeo, owns two taxis. "Both are fitted with different brands of speed governors. While one of them has a 16-digit UIN, the other doesn't and is idle. I have been visiting the RTO for almost a week but there is no solution." Another driver, Ramsahay Yadav, said his taxi has passed its fitness test every year since he installed the speed governor. "However, this year, the RTO is denying clearance because of the missing 16-digit code. During the online payment of the Rs.600 fee, the system demands the number and in its absence RTO officials are asking us to either install a new speed governor or get the 16-digit code from the company." An RTO official said, "The transport department licences specific companies to install speed governors. These companies have been instructed to issue the 16-digit UINs to taxi drivers, retrospectively. Some manufacturers have started converting their codes." The official said there was another temporary fix. "We have asked the unions to allow their members to submit a letter with the name of the permit holder/driver, vehicle number, UIN and date of fitting the speed governor. This will be passed on to the manufacturer," said the RTO official. Taxi unions have approached the state transport department, demanding a solution. A meeting was held on June 27 but the RTO is yet to find a way out....