Indian roads to soon see Quadricycles (Bajaj Qute) with new rules

Indian road rules do not allow quadricycles to be a legal mode of transportation. The lack of rule kept Bajaj RE60 or the Qute micro-car away from an official launch in India for many years now. The Indian government is now working to include quadricycles in the category of vehicles approved to run the roads.

The new rules will set the standard for quadricycles in India. It will include the weight, engine size, passenger capacity, maximum speed and passenger and pedestrian safety features. The set of new rules are expected to be out in about two week’s time.

Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Highway minister told ET,

“We will soon issue the final standards for the category after which any company that manufactures quadricycle can sell it in India. We have ensured that the safety standards for quadricycle are more stringent than the European standards,”

Bajaj unveiled the Qute in 2012 Auto Expo. However, due to the rules that do not qualify it as a vehicle, it was never sold in India. Bajaj, however, exports the made-in-India quadricycles to many international markets. With the change of laws, Bajaj may soon start selling the products in India too. Bajaj has already asked its components suppliers for higher production.

Quadricycles will be essential in providing last mile connectivity in many Indian cities and villages. Manufacturers like Mahindra and Tata also plans to jump in the segment at a later date. In fact, Mahindra also showcased a quadricycle concept at the 2018 Auto Expo. Pawan Goenka, MD of Mahindra said that the project will pick up pace once government shows the green light.

Even though the Bajaj Qute is ready for launch, it will have to go through various tests and a crash test before launching in India. It is expected to be a more comfortable way of travelling than the three-wheeled rickshaws.