http://www.trickmytata.com

People are intelligent enough to make choices for themselves. If the streets do get crowded, and people end up spending beyond their budget on petrol, they ditch their cars and use them more sparingly. IMHO, the price of petrol rather than the price of the car is a more crucial factor when smaller (and cheaper) cars are bought – atleast in India.

This isn’t about the US. US and India are two very different countries and it’s a bit pointless to compare the two. But there are lessons to be learned from other countries. Take for instance the congestion charge levied in London in specific areas. It’s enough of an incentive for a lot of car owners not to drive around in Central London. At the same time – given that right beyond Central London – the bus service or the tube service isn’t entirely convenient – they use their cars locally – for short distances that are not convenient for walking.

The other thing is that small cars like these make more sense instead of autorickshaws. They are cheaper than taxis, consume less petrol and don’t slow down the speed on roads. The trouble with three-wheelers is that they ruin lane-traffic management. They can rarely go over 30km/ph and by slowing down traffic, cause more petrol to be consumed and more pollution as vehicles drive on lower gears. Besides, this isn’t just about Delhi. The problem with state policy, especially at the Central Level is that it has always focused on metropolitan areas, instead of looking at periurban areas. Smaller cars add to mobility in areas beyond cities. They also have another benefit – as commuter belts get bigger. It’s not necessary that everyone drives down all the way to South Bombay – people may choose to drive 10 kms to their nearest station in Panvel or Vasai, and then take the train – as is the norm in many commuter belts. It improves their access to livelihood, and makes life easier for them. Why would anyone have a problem with that?

Go to a rural area in Rajasthan – let’s stay rural Udaipur. There are roads, but buses ply every 8 hours sometimes. What do you do when someone needs to get to a particular place – in case of emergencies? Someone offering a slightly more expensive ride in a small car taxi makes a lot of sense. You’re right – this isn’t the US at all. Which is why you can’t use the same standards of US becoming oil-dependent or an SUV driving nation.

just beg the question – Why will their HAVE to be the same number of cars per 1000? There are already too many cars in America!

Go ahead, reorient your entire economy and infrastructure to be completely dependent on the oil companies and auto industry. It worked out SO WELL for America.

http://www.gwynnedyer.com/articles/Gwynne%20Dyer%20article_%20%20Tehran%20Times.txt

The last paragraph says it all:

“Clucking disapprovingly about mass car ownership in India or China misses the point entirely. At the moment there are only eleven private cars for every thousand Indians. There are 477 cars for every thousand Americans. By mid-century, there will have to be the same number of cars per thousand people for both Indians and Americans — and that number will have to be a lot lower than 477, unless somebody comes up with cars that emit no greenhouse gases at all. Otherwise, everybody loses.”

As a Tata dealership in South Africa we have been inundated with calls for the Nano. For now we have no pricing or final specs available to the South African clients and can also not give an exact date for launch in South Africa.

Our cheapest car is still the TATA Indica 1.4i LE @ R68 995. This car is a 5 door hatch with power steering standard. It also comes standard with a 2 year 45000 km service plan, 3 year factory warranty and roadside assistance… Still the best deal in South Africa.

For more information contact us at our Tata dealership in Mowbray, Cape town # 021 686 5558.

Jannie Ruppersberg
Sales Executive
Tata motors
Mowbray
Cape town