NEW DELHI: Auto major Bajaj Auto is undeterred by the recent ban imposed on two-stroke three- wheelers by Sri Lanka, where it virtually enjoys a monopoly, but said Colombo should restrict itself to specifying only norms and not make technology choices.
Company Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said that the ban should not really affect Bajaj Auto as it could easily supply 4-stroke instead.
"For instance, we export about 3,000-4,000 four-stroke three-wheelers to Egypt every month," he said.
Bajaj said experience in India has showed that the authorities need to restrict themselves to specifying the norms, and not to making technology choices. Making such choices was the prerogative of the manufacturer.
"Similarly, the Sri Lankan authority should stop at specifying the norms and leave it to the manufacturers to choose technology," he said.
The final decision maker would then be the customer, who would make his choice based on parameters such as vehicle price, fuel infrastructure, fuel price and economy, anticipated maintenance etc., he added.
Sri Lanka last week decided to take off its roads three- wheeler autorickshaws fitted with two-stroke gasoline engines by the end of this year.
The country's Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa had said that the move would be majorly affecting Bajaj, the virtual monopoly holder in the three-wheeler autorickshaws space in the island. Bajaj reiterated that the company had little worries over the ban as it could supply products that qualify new norms.
"In India itself, where the norms are one of the most stringent in the world, Bajaj complies with the regulations with a range of two-stroke, four-stroke, LPG, CNG, and Diesel three-wheelers," he said.
The Sri Lankan minister had also said that besides the ban on two stroke three-wheelers, spares for the two-stroke engines would not be allowed into the island from 2011.
An estimated 280,000 two-stroke powered autorickshaws ply on Sri Lankan roads with about 40,000 added to the fleet every year.
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