Auto rickshaws have been plying on our roads since a very long time now and even though they might be cheap, they don’t provide safety at all. Bajaj introduced an interesting vehicle RE60 which is termed as a quadricycle. A quadricycle is basically a compact 4-wheeler, which is similar to an auto rickshaw in size and yet provides more safety since it comes with doors. The Government is still reviewing the quadricycle policy in India and once the approval has been made we would see a few quadricycle launches. Bajaj will surely launch the RE60 and now we hear that even Mahindra is developing their own version of a quadricycle.
Quadricycles will be given permissions to ply only as transport vehicles and not as personal vehicles. These vehicles will only be allowed to ply on city roads. A quadricycle meant for carrying people will weigh around 450 kgs while one meant for carrying goods will weigh around 550 kgs. Length of these vehicles are supposed to be around 3-metres which will make them easy to drive around in the crowded city roads. The quadricycles meant for commercial use will be slightly longer at 3.7-metres. Bajaj has already got an approval from the West Bengal government for plying these vehicles but they will start rolling out only by June.
Top officials from Mahindra are very optimistic about entering the quadricycle segment. The manufacturer surely wants to invest keeping in mind new regulations, new segments and new opportunities. Mahindra has already seen great success in other vehicle segments and there are very high hopes from the company now too. The Bajaj RE60 is powered by a 216cc engine producing 20 HP of power and top speed is limited to 70 km/hr. It will be very interesting to see two local manufacturers fight it out in this new segment.
