(Lanka-e-News -18.June.2015, 8.30PM) Amid the quarrel of recent vehicle tax increase an effort is being taken by the David Pieris Motor Company (DPMC) with the association of short sighted government officials to introduce another aggressive pest into the overcrowded Sri Lankan roads. It is the Quadricycle which was imported somewhere around Two years back by David Pieris Motor Company. Initially the quadricycle was called Bajaj RE60 and now it has been renamed as Bajaj Qute with the classification of Small Car. According to the Bajaj Auto India, the vehicle will be introduced in to 16 countries including the countries in Africa, South America Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Turkey. However while Rajiv Bajaj, CEO of Bajaj Auto India is dreaming on export markets, still the Government of India has not cleared the so called "Small Car" on Indian roads due to the safety concerns as well as the legal issues for introducing this vehicle category in to the Indian vehicle registration regulations.
The Qudricycle or Bajaj RE 60 was not new to Sri Lanka as the David Pieris Motor Company was in a constant struggle to register this vehicle in Sri Lanka during last couple of years. However the effort of the company was not become a success as disagreements of Department of Motor Traffic and Police Traffic Division. The main concerns of then the two departments were that the vehicle is unsafe and this poor vehicle cannot be given the registration status as a motor car as DPMC wishes. And most importantly this vehicle category is not included in the present Motor Vehicle Act in Sri Lanka. Thus unless amending the act, there are no provisions for the registration of this vehicle in Sri Lanka.
However David Pieris motor company was trying to convince the DMT officials in many ways to get the registration of this Quadricycle as a motor car. Now the company has got another leap with the recent increase of tax of the three-wheelers and this time the company has come up with a new concept which has renamed the Bajaj RE 60 as Bajaj Quet "Small Car" to hide the actual class of their Quadricycle powered by 216 cc single cylinder engine.
According to the motor vehicle classifications definitions worldwide, there are certain aspects to be fulfilled qualify as passenger motor car. However the the capability of this vehicle definitely does not match with these requirements .
The technical specification of Bajaj Quadricycle are as follows
Engine Displacement - 216.6 cc
Maximum Power - 13 BHP @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque - 19.6 NM @ 4000 rpm
Transmission/Gearbox - 5-speed
Top Speed (KMPH) - 70 kmph
Mileage (Certified) - 36 kmpl
Kerb Weight - 400 kg
The specification shows how this vehicle is underpowered and unsafe to drive with passengers (approximately 700Kg gross weight with 200cc pulling power and maximum 70 kmh speed)
During the last couple of years this vehicle was a permanent showpiece of the Sri Lankan auto shows to convince the authorities to get the registration in Sri Lanka . However the approval was not granted by the Department of Motor Traffic and Sri Lanka Police due to the incompatibility with the existing regulations. In fact for the registration of their motor vehicle in Sri Lanka it is required to amend the motor traffic and other related regulations.. So the question is does Sri Lanka really need this vehicle on our roads and how it contribute to our economy and society. ?
The most important and annoying thing to consider as Sri Lankans that this vehicle which manufactured in India has not granted its approval for the registration in India. And the matter has now gone to the Supreme Court of India, and petitioners argues that the vehicle is unsafe for the Indian roads and not to be allowed to register in India. In this context how the David Pieris decides that this vehicle fits to Sri Lanka. However now this Quadricycle is already here and government institutions are being continuously lobbied by DPMC to get the registration in Sri Lanka .
What is the ethics of this practice ? Are we such a foolish nation ? why the authorities allow these practices and let our people to die in these death traps which have been rejected even by the mother land. Do we need any more nuisance on Sri Lankan roads on top of the existing Indian origin three wheelers problem ? Who regulates our motor traffic law is that the Department of Motor Traffic or by the substandard automaker s in India. Where all our low experts have gone ?.
The technical and legislative problems of these vehicles are , if these vehicles are given the registration status under the motor car category, these death traps will be able to run in the Sri Lankan roads with maximum 70kmh and 100 kmh speed limits . Are these vehicles fit to drive at 70 kmh or 100kmph with 200cc motor cycle engine. How they market this vehicle as a small car having fitted with 200cc engine. The other thing that Quadricyles in the other parts of the world has maximum speed limit with 45kmh and this Quadricycle is said to have 70kmh maximum speed. So this is exceeding the accepted limits of this category and do we allow these to kill our people on the roads and pay our hard earned foreign exchange to the Indian companies for rubbish like this.
It is necessary to investigate that who are the officials working for the interests of private companies and how this company has approached the Sri Lankan government authorities to implement their agenda on this uncertified and disputed vehicle in its motherland.
While the Colombo and other main cities in Sri Lanka is now experiencing a chronic and severe traffic conditions, who are the foolish officials or politicians trying to introduce another nuisance to our roads. It is needed to investigate the driving forces behind this foolish move. In fact this is something more to our popular proverb that, as these stupids are trying to bring another woman suffering from flu while still being married to a women with cough.
Moreover, if the Government want to encourage middle income people to buy a car , doesn’t this futuristic government have any other quality alternatives rather than offering this odd and shameful option for the people of this country ?.
So what would be the next motor vehicle introduced in Sri Lanka by the racketeers like this with the support of our institutional stupidity, Human pulled auto rickshaws… that’s what the only vehicle still we could not see on our roads, unlike our regional neighbors.
by Special Correspondent
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by (2016-06-18 14:59:12)
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