Supreme Court hearing on quadricycle case deferred to mid-July

Bajaj Auto’s wait to launch its RE60 quadricycle in the domestic market has just got longer. First displayed at the 2012 Auto Expo, the quadricycle got stuck in a rut following the filing of petitions that challenged the amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act under which the quadricycle category itself was created.

The crucial hearings in the Supreme Court have now been re-scheduled to mid-July. The case was slated to come up for hearing yesterday but has now been pushed ahead to be heard only after the Court’s summer vacation.

The quadricycle has been cleared for commercial use so far, and Bajaj Auto hopes it will get the okay as a personal vehicle as well. Thus far, Bajaj Auto is the only automobile company that has a product ready for a market launch. However, several other players including Piaggio are keen to foray into the sector. Some carmakers have questioned the safety credentials of the quadricycle but Bajaj Auto has insisted that the vehicle is safe.

Bajaj Auto has, in any case, decided to launch the product in Sri Lanka with a likely launch due by the end of this year.