Seeking advice from various lobby groups and stakeholders, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has sought the help of various pressure groups to give suggestions on making the quadricycle fall under the special category vehicle. As told by a senior official of the Road Ministry, "We have asked everyone (stakeholders) regarding views, comments, issues, if any, on quadricycle before we finally come up with the product."
During the month of May in 2013, the Government of India had decided to allow the use of quadricycles on the roads of the capital. After that, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways decided to change the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) in which the quadricycle will be placed under a additional category vehicle that will be manufactured and registered in India.
To define quadricycles, the are basically a four-wheeler vehicle that has a closed body having hard top roof and doors. As claimed by government, these type of vehicles are safer as compared to the their three wheeled counterparts. Quadricycles can attain good speeds while the engine capacity is limited and considerably less than a small hatchback. The government has also proposed that quadricycles will bear the symbol of Q on the aesthetics of the body structure. For transportation of good and services, quadricycles will first haver to be registered under the commercial vehicles category and the movement will only be restricted to intra-city regions only on the grounds that the driver is having a valid driver license. The transport ministry has even asked the Commissioner of Delhi Police and Transport to examine the impact of adding a new vehicle on the traffic situation in the national capital.
Indian home-grown company Bajaj Auto is all likely to derive the maximum benefits once quadricycles are approved to ply on Delhi's roads. The company has even developed a similar kind of vehicle named as RE60, which is equipped with 200 cc petrol engine that gives the car an ability to clock a top speed of 70 kmph. As claimed by the auto maker, the vehicle has a fuel economy of 35 kmpl.
In the meanwhile, the Union of all-india auto rickshaw drivers has expressed grief concerns over the competition offered by quadricycles. They have alleged that their business will suffer huge loses once quadricycles are allowed to ply on the roads of Delhi. While the transport ministry is firm on its stance saying that "We have made it clear that both modes of public transport will exist in urban areas. Quadricycles won't be allowed to ply on national highways."
According to sources, major companies like Tata Motors, TVS and Maruti Suzuki are of a negative view on the introduction of quadricycles. Deriving on the inputs take from these companies, they are saying that these type of vehicles does not meet our standards. While Mahindra & Mahindra was of the view that its electric Reva too falls under the same category and should be considered as a quadricycle.
