Patel Tourist

If you walk down Palton Road, you’ll find us in the Sitaram Building. Patel Tourist has been operating out of this spot for a while. We focus on getting people around, whether it’s for a short trip or something longer. The building itself is one of those old Mumbai structures with high ceilings and heavy doors. It stays relatively cool inside even when it’s baking outside. We spend our time managing drivers and making sure the vehicles are where they need to be. Palton Road is always humming with activity, people rushing to the market or the station. Our desk is usually covered in keys and logbooks. It’s a lot of logistics, trying to beat the traffic and keep the timing right. We aren't a big fancy tour operator with glossy magazines. We’re just a local business making sure the car shows up on time. We have our regulars who call us every time they need to go to the airport or visit family out of town. The phone rings a lot, usually someone asking if we have a van available for the weekend. We just give them a straight answer and write it down. It’s simple, really. We’ve seen the city change quite a bit from our window in Sitaram Building, but the need for a reliable ride stays the same. We keep the cars clean and the drivers ready to head out. That's the whole job.