The Hindu : Front Page : Tough going for eco-friendly motorcycles

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Saturday, Jul 08, 2006

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Tough going for eco-friendly motorcycles

Sandhya Soman

Vehicle owners not sure whether they need licence and registration

Getting loans for these models is also difficult.

CHENNAI: If you own an eco-friendly motorcycle, it will take more than power batteries to get it moving on city roads.

Though there is a growing enthusiasm among eco-conscious residents for non-polluting motorcycles, they are not sure whether the vehicles require registration under the Motor Vehicles Registration Act.

Owners such as S. Karthick are so frustrated at having frequent problems with the police, that they are reluctant to take out the vehicle.

Agrees K. Ramakrishnan, whose purchase of E-Go enthused Karthick to go for the vehicle.

"I bought the motorbike after seeing an advertisement. It not only saves me the additional fuel charges but is also free of smoke and noise."

"The dealer gave us the invoice with the Customs Commissioner's import clearance stating that e-bikes have been exempted from registration under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules Act. But police do not accept the explanation," said Karthick.

Mr. Ramakrishnan also is not sure about whether a licence is required to drive the motorcycle. K. Raja, a vehicle dealer, says getting financial assistance for battery-operated models (price for 1000 MW model is Rs. 32,000) is difficult as no registration is done.

According to Transport department officials, it is up to the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in Pune to certify whether battery-operated vehicles need registration or not.

As per a 2005 Government of India notification, a battery-operated vehicle does not require registration if the ARAI gives a certificate.

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