Global NCAP stand on safety is beyond my comprehension: Rajiv Bajaj

Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj on Tuesday lashed out at Global NCAP saying the UK-based charity's stand on vehicle safety is beyond his "limited comprehension", adding a fresh round to the spat between the two over crash test result of the company's quadricycle Qute.

Bajaj, who was invited to be a speaker at an automobile safety conference at Faridabad in which Global NCAP was one of the organisers, said it amused him "no end that on the one hand (Global) NCAP has apparent misgivings about quadricycles with respect to safety" and yet see Qute being termed 'a global example and a vehicle of the future' in the invitation.

The other organisers of the conference were Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE). Writing on behalf of the organisers, IRTE President Rohit Baluja said, "the Bajaj Quadricycle to me appears to be the vehicle of the future..." and the company has been able to successfully "demonstrate this global example".

Bajaj, who had a war of words last month with Global NCAP Secretary General David Ward over Qute crash tests results, did not let the opportunity pass to ridicule the vehicle safety charity saying, "A case of wanting to have your cake and eat it too?"

He said in a statement: "While I haven't personally seen anything further on quadricycles from (Global) NCAP, it is clear to me that their stand on safety is beyond my limited comprehension."

Bajaj further said: "I hear (Global) NCAP implying that those who walk, cycle, ride, or use a 3-wheeler must not seek a safer alternative in the quadricycle; they must continue as they are until they can afford a high emission, low mileage, congestion causing car instead."

Last month, Global NCAP had hit out at Bajaj Auto for making 'misleading' claims of better safety standards of the company's quadricycle Qute than some popular compact cars sold in India based on crash test results done by the UK-based vehicle safety charity.

Global NCAP had said although it gave a one-star rating for quadricycles to Bajaj Qute, the vehicle does not perform well and there is a "likelihood of severe or fatal head and chest injuries".

Bajaj Auto in a statement had claimed, "...In a recent Euro NCAP report, the Bajaj Qute was accorded a 1 (one) star rating, superior to the 0 (zero) star rating of popular cars including the VW Polo, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10, Maruti Alto, and Tata Nano."