Bajaj Tempo goes on overdrive to conform to emission norms

Shikha Chadha

Auto majors seem to be getting serious about emission norms. Bajaj Tempo Ltd is conducting nationwide training exercises as part of its ongoing endeavour to provide training skills in maintaining high technology aggregates such as Euro II engines, high efficiency gear boxes, etc.

Bajaj Tempo Ltd is a fully integrated automobile company and has products catering to four product segments, namely, utility vehicles, light commercial vehicles, three-wheelers and tractors.

Says Abhay Firodia, chairman and managing director of Bajaj Tempo Ltd: “The mechanics need to be trained to repair and maintain both the old Euro I vehicles and the new ones conforming to the Euro II standards.” He adds: “Mechanics need to be retrained for repairs and maintenance, too. They also need to know about the introduction of new technology and improvisations.”

A specially created fleet of five Tempo Traveller service vans has been pressed into service for extensively covering Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra as well as the southern and eastern states. These vans are equipped with all training material and samples of engines, gear boxes, axles, power point, besides audio visual mass communication equipment. The training vans are manned by senior instructors, service demonstrators and service engineers, with five to seven years of experience.

“Each van has an instructor, an engineer and a driver to lend the exercise a holistic approach. The specialised training sessions are conducted in various cities, towns and even villages”, Mr Firodia said. The training course, which usually spans a period of one to three days, is conducted for approximately 15 to 20 mechanics at a time. The focus is on educating the mechanics about emission and safety considerations.

During the last five years as many as 32,000 mechanics have been trained. Last year alone, Bajaj Tempo trained more than 10,000 mechanics.

The company intends to raise the existing fleet of service vans to 10 in the current year and to reach out and train over 20,000 mechanics in this period. Bajaj Tempo boasts of a research and development department possessing a 100 terminal CAD installation and modern testing facilities with a staff of 400 engineers and technicians.

Such training sessions, concentrating on the proper upkeep of fuel injection and safety equipment, are expected to play an important role in controlling vehicular pollution and improving road safety.