The road transport and highways ministry cleared “quadricycle” as a new category of vehicle. Battery-powered or electric four-wheelers will be brought under this category, sources said. After incorporating suggestions and objections, transport minister Oscar Fernandes approved the proposal.
Quadricycles are seen as safer than three-wheelers as they will have four wheels with fully enclosed body structure with a hard top and doors. These will be allowed to ply only on city roads as transport and not personal vehicles. “These vehicles should have dual car-type braking system. Since there is no provision for crash test of these vehicles, we need to have a better braking system,” says a senior ministry official.
Earlier, many automobile manufacturers and organizations, dealing with road safety issues, had red-flagged the vehicle as “unsafe”. Sources said, with the new provision, the ‘safety’ concern has been addressed. The ministry has made no change in weight, size, body or emission norms of the vehicle.
Sources said quadricycle will be a substantial upgrade over the three-wheeler auto and will be bigger than an auto-rickshaw and smaller than a normal car. The vehicle meant for carrying passengers will be of 450 kg and for carrying goods will be of 550 kg. The length will be 3 metre for passenger version and 3.7 metre for goods version. Quadricycles can carry a maximum of four passengers and goods vehicles can carry 500 kg. Sources said in case of battery-operated quadricycles the weight of battery will be excluded from the total vehicle weight. Ministry officials said the final notification will happen in less than a month and these vehicles will be allowed to ply after six months of the notification.
Quadricycles are seen as safer than three-wheelers as they will have four wheels with fully enclosed body structure with a hard top and doors. These will be allowed to ply only on city roads as transport and not personal vehicles. “These vehicles should have dual car-type braking system. Since there is no provision for crash test of these vehicles, we need to have a better braking system,” says a senior ministry official.
Earlier, many automobile manufacturers and organizations, dealing with road safety issues, had red-flagged the vehicle as “unsafe”. Sources said, with the new provision, the ‘safety’ concern has been addressed. The ministry has made no change in weight, size, body or emission norms of the vehicle.
Sources said quadricycle will be a substantial upgrade over the three-wheeler auto and will be bigger than an auto-rickshaw and smaller than a normal car. The vehicle meant for carrying passengers will be of 450 kg and for carrying goods will be of 550 kg. The length will be 3 metre for passenger version and 3.7 metre for goods version. Quadricycles can carry a maximum of four passengers and goods vehicles can carry 500 kg. Sources said in case of battery-operated quadricycles the weight of battery will be excluded from the total vehicle weight. Ministry officials said the final notification will happen in less than a month and these vehicles will be allowed to ply after six months of the notification.
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