The cabbie who paints Kolkata green

In a bid to fight the rapidly fading green cover in Kolkata, this 40-year old cab driver has made a garden in his own taxi. Dhananjay Chakraborty alias Bapi manoeuvres one of the quintessential yellow cabs in the city of joy. Speaking of his green efforts, he recalls how it all began. “Often passengers leave behind a lot of their belongings — cigarette packets, lighters etc. One day, I found a quaint looking empty alcohol bottle while cleaning the car. I planted a sapling in it and kept it inside my car. After a few months, it grew some branches. That’s when I thought of using my taxi to set up a small garden of sorts, keep plants inside my vehicle, add some astro-turf grass on the rooftop. I wanted to convey a message through my car,” says Bapi, who has been driving the cab for 12 years. He lives in a rented home but ensures the landowner doesn’t create a fuss when he wants to plant trees.

“Since childhood, I have always loved trees. Think of the big trees you see on roads, they have seen so much, standing there since the time of your ancestors. People don’t love trees these days. Even if they do, they don’t water them regularly,” says Bapi, who doesn’t charge extra for the environmental friendly ride. “Rather, people pay me extra out of love.” Besides gardening, he also likes to paint and even enjoys writing poetry. His day begins at 4.30 am and he shuts shop by 8 pm.

How much has he spent on the car, we ask. “I spent Rs 35,000 but every penny is worth it when passengers feel refreshed and then click photographs in my car and of my car. My passengers are like my family members.”