There is a great hype about TATA’s NANO.But it is evident it is not going to solve the transport problems of the middle class, especially the lower middle class. These people will still use a two wheeler to carry their family of 4 or 5 in rain.
I feel that the true revolution in personal transport was brought on by VESPA scooter and later LUNA moped. Nano will create more problems for city transport than solve. What will be the situation as regards to parking and traffic congestion? Now there is more emphasis on public than personal transport. It is evident that a 150 cc scooter can carry the loads of four to five persons for short distances, say up to 30 kms at a stretch without overheating.
This is enough for a family to travel inside a city. Ratan Tata could have redesigned the body and added one or two extra wheels to the scooter with slight other modifications. Many prototype cars have already been built around scooter and motorcycle engines.The cost would have been less and mileage better.But Mr Tata has introduced a complete car which, though has innovative design, will fail to solve the purpose for which it was designed.