India shuns scooters as cars take over

Production cut

The Bajaj scooter is an iconic Indian brand first launched in 1972.
Inspired by the Italian Vespa, these scooters captured the essence of a generation of Indians.
Entire families - husband, wife and two children - could be seen sitting on the Bajaj scooter, riding around small and big towns across the country.
They were so much in demand that there were waiting lists to buy one. Many sold at high premiums.
But as the country's economy grew rapidly, many people bypassed the scooter, instead buying fancy motorbikes or even cars.
So the parent company Bajaj has decided to do phase out scooter production.
After March 2010, the company, which is one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world, will stop producing scooters and focus on selling motorbikes.

Read full article by Shilpa Kannan at BBC News.