City commuters will soon have another mode of transport as government today allowed the plying of a new type of 4-wheeler -- a quadricycle that is technologically a step above auto-rickshaws, and safer.
Quadricycles have been allowed as a public transport vehicle within city limits. Only licensed drivers can be at the wheel of these vehicles which need to be registered with the transport department.
Quadricycles are safer than three-wheelers as they have fully enclosed body structure with hard top and doors. Their maximum speed limit and engine capacity are lower than a that of a small car.
"A separate category has been proposed for notification to include quadricycle with specifications adopting present norms notified in the 3-wheeler category of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) or the European Union quadricycle, whichever is more stringent," a Road Ministry statement said.
As an identification symbol, letter 'Q' will be prominently displayed on the body of quadricycles.
The development is seen as good news for Bajaj Auto. Last year it had unveiled a quadricycle codenamed RE60, which is powered by a 200 cc petrol engine with a top speed of 70 kilometre per hour (kmph) and with a mileage of 35 kilometre per litre (kmpl).
"This is a wonderful day for Indian automotive innovation. The RE60 will soon be joined by many more similarly small, light and low speed vehicles that will make for a cleaner, safer, quieter world. As an anti-car company we are just delighted," Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj told PTI.
"Any new product or innovation is good and extremely important for the auto industry. If you are able to bring out product advantage for the customer then chances of its success are always very high," said Abdul Majeed, head of the automotive sector for India at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Chennai.
