Motor Lorries in India.
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Their Importation Prohibited. Good Prospects Alter the War.
(From a Bombay Correspondent.)
The Indian Government has recently sprang a great surprise upon the country by prohibiting the import of motors of all descriptions, including commercial vehicles, except those required for Government purposes. For some time past there has been a great ins flux of American motors into India, arid it has been deemed necessary to stop this entieely owing to signs of a shortage of petrol and because of the need for shipping tonnage now occupied in carrying motorcars from the United States.
In Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and most of the other
large cities in India meetings have been held protesting against this new regulation, and it is possible that the representations of the importers may cause the Government to alter the restriction to a certain extent and permit of a few cars arid vehicles being brought into the country.In any ease, however, there is bound to be a considerable diminution, and no doubt British manufacturers will view this policy with satisfaction.
The Commercial Motor Not Widely Used Yet.
Up to quite recently motor lorries had not been used at all commonly in India. Many reasons have combined to bring about this state of affairs. Labour is extraordinarilycheap and plentiful for all unskilled work (although skilled workmen are scares enough), whilst the method of transport universally adopted is extremely cheap. This is by means of bullock-wagons, drawn by two sturdy bullocks, and although slow in the extreme and the cause of fearful congestion at times in streets and docks, the cost is so low as to make it well-nigh hopeless for motor traction to compete from the point of view of low running costs alone. Petrol stands at a high .price (Is. 8d. to Ss. 1.0d. per gallon); drivers require fairly good wages, -and very often the delays so common in the East destroy the advantage of the speed of the motor vehicle.
Yet it seems clear that none of these objections is sufficient to prevent a great development in the employment of motor lorries in India. It is becoming more and more apparent to the leading traders and public bodies that the greater carrying capacity, the general convenience and cleanliness, and the higher speed of the motor vehicle more than counterbalance any increased cost, whilst the advertisement to be derived by delivering materials by motor instead of by bullockseart has not escaped the eye of the discerning business man, be he native or European.
Once the Motor Lorry is Received It Has a Wide Scope.
If the question of motor transport is taken up in earnest in India, there seems to be absolutely no limit to its development. There is an enormous amount of material of every description reqeired to be moved over long and short distances, and one has only to see the continual 'service of thousands of clumsy bullockwagons lumbering all over the roads in a big city like Bombay to realize the fact. This .method of transport, owing to its huge proportions and the general lack of control, is a public nuisance, and from this point of view alone the introduction of motor transport on a large scale will be welcomed in every direction. In the large .ports congestion in the docks and delay in discharging steamers is due to the bullockwagons and these is no doubt that every. encouragement will be given in official quarters to the use of motor lorries. In fact, so soon as it is possible to obtain reasonable deliveries there will be many large orders placed by Government. departments, and British firms should watch these opportunities, No Market for Light Vans Owing to Abundancy of Coolie Labour
As in other countries, presumably, various types of commercial vehicles will-find their uses, but present indications semi to point to the 3-tonner as being the model that will be most generally required. Roads are for the most part bad and very substantial construction is necessary, otherwise a reputation may easily be gained for flimsy design of a motor that would be thoroughly suitable for • English roads. Light delivery vans will probably not have much vogue, as coolie labour is so abundant for the carriage of all moderate parcels, even over fairly long distances. Again however, the question of advertisement and smartness arises, and there is reason to believe that a few of the more important shopkeepers and dealers will go in extensively for 30-cwt. Tans.
It is scarcely necessary to remark that those. British manufacturers who intend to.enter the Indian market on a big scale—and this is the only way it should be entered—must pay as much attention to the sunning of their motors after they are sold as to their selling_ Every facility for the rapid repair and replacement of parts should be given; and this -reuse be remembered when agents are being appointed. Large stocks of spare parts should be carried, and the agent should always have one or two complete chassis in stock, for Indian firms—whether run by Europeans or natives— are very averse to buying without seeing.
Personal Attention to Consumer Will Be a Dom.
inant Factor in Obtaining Business.
Moreover, in India, personal attention counts for a great deal, and home manufacturers should send out a representative very frequently to keep .in close touch with the changing conditions and to give any necessary help or advice to agents, besides being able to recommend any desirable alterations of policy to the manufacturer. In this way the new markets can be touched, and gradually an exceptionally fine business could be built up throughout the whole of India, but it must be emphasized that this can only be effected if the home firm is prepared to adopt a bold policy and to trust their representative and agents fully.
It will be gathered that American commercial vehicles have made great headway in India in the past two years, and it must at once be said that they have, generally speaking, given great satisfaction. The United States firms have spared no pains nor expense to push forward, and besides sending representatives to the country have treated their agents in a most generous manner as regards show lorries and spare parts. British manufacturers, however, need have little fear of the future if they adopt the same progressive methods, for the reputation of some of the British commercial vehicles already stands very high
in India. C.