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Differences over government's decision to notify a new class of vehicle, quadricycle, surfaced once again today at a meeting with the transport ministry with industry players stressing the need for greater safety-related regulations.
While some automotive companies such as Tata Motors maintained their opposition on introducing quadricycle on Indian roads on accounts of poor safety and high pollution, others asked for an equal lead time for launching them.
Tata Motors Chairman Cyrus Mistry, accompanied by managing director Karl Slym, Pawan Goenka, president, M&M, were amongst the several executives who participated in the discussion, presided by Oscar Fernandes, minister of road transport and highways.
Companies which have called for improved rules or are against the government's move to allow such class of vehicles to ply of Indian roads include Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra and Mahindra and TVS Motors.
Oscar Fernandes, Minister for Road Transport and Highways told Business Standard, "It was an informal meeting that we had today and companies expressed their point of view. We had issued a statutory notice which has a one month period and who ever has an objection can respond by 26th September. We have listened to all the parties involved and a decision will be taken after 26th".
Sources said that there was a clear opposition from companies against slapping regulations of a three-wheeler on the quadricycle. A mixture of regulations sourced from the set of regulations for three-wheeler, cars and the new segment was required to be framed, according to manufacturers.
Pune-based Bajaj Auto, Piaggio India and Eicher Motors are in favour of having quadricycles in the country. Bajaj Auto in fact has already developed a product on close lines of a quadricycle and is awaiting government's approval for launch in India. "Any move to artificially postpone the introduction of quadricycles would be to put the interest of some selfish corporates ahead of the good of all customers who would like to choose a greener and safer vehicle. Thus an effort to do so is not one that provides a level playing field but rather one that promotes cartelisation", said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL).
Italian company Piaggio, which is amongst the biggest manufacturers of quadricycles in Europe, has asked the ministry to provide equal time for other manufacturers to develop their own products for the proposed segment.
TVS Motors, which had first mooted the idea of quadricycles over a decade ago only to be faced with opposition from Bajaj Auto, has opposed the idea this time stating that quadricycles will result in increased pollution and urban congestion.
In May this year the government approved the idea of allowing these new class of four-wheeled vehicles to ply within city limits as modes of public transport. Bajaj Auto has promoted the quadricycle as a 'three-wheeler with a safety of a fourth wheel'.
To address the concerns of auto makers over safety and emission norms for these as personal vehicles, the ministry had suggested that quadricycles be registered only under the commercial transport category for intra-city movement. Also, to distinguish these from cars, the ‘Q’ symbol needs to be displayed on the body of these vehicles.
While some automotive companies such as Tata Motors maintained their opposition on introducing quadricycle on Indian roads on accounts of poor safety and high pollution, others asked for an equal lead time for launching them.
Tata Motors Chairman Cyrus Mistry, accompanied by managing director Karl Slym, Pawan Goenka, president, M&M, were amongst the several executives who participated in the discussion, presided by Oscar Fernandes, minister of road transport and highways.
Companies which have called for improved rules or are against the government's move to allow such class of vehicles to ply of Indian roads include Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra and Mahindra and TVS Motors.
Oscar Fernandes, Minister for Road Transport and Highways told Business Standard, "It was an informal meeting that we had today and companies expressed their point of view. We had issued a statutory notice which has a one month period and who ever has an objection can respond by 26th September. We have listened to all the parties involved and a decision will be taken after 26th".
Sources said that there was a clear opposition from companies against slapping regulations of a three-wheeler on the quadricycle. A mixture of regulations sourced from the set of regulations for three-wheeler, cars and the new segment was required to be framed, according to manufacturers.
Pune-based Bajaj Auto, Piaggio India and Eicher Motors are in favour of having quadricycles in the country. Bajaj Auto in fact has already developed a product on close lines of a quadricycle and is awaiting government's approval for launch in India. "Any move to artificially postpone the introduction of quadricycles would be to put the interest of some selfish corporates ahead of the good of all customers who would like to choose a greener and safer vehicle. Thus an effort to do so is not one that provides a level playing field but rather one that promotes cartelisation", said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL).
Italian company Piaggio, which is amongst the biggest manufacturers of quadricycles in Europe, has asked the ministry to provide equal time for other manufacturers to develop their own products for the proposed segment.
TVS Motors, which had first mooted the idea of quadricycles over a decade ago only to be faced with opposition from Bajaj Auto, has opposed the idea this time stating that quadricycles will result in increased pollution and urban congestion.
In May this year the government approved the idea of allowing these new class of four-wheeled vehicles to ply within city limits as modes of public transport. Bajaj Auto has promoted the quadricycle as a 'three-wheeler with a safety of a fourth wheel'.
To address the concerns of auto makers over safety and emission norms for these as personal vehicles, the ministry had suggested that quadricycles be registered only under the commercial transport category for intra-city movement. Also, to distinguish these from cars, the ‘Q’ symbol needs to be displayed on the body of these vehicles.
