Bhutanese customers, dreaming of driving the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, will have to be patient and the government need not worry about traffic congestion for the next few years.

Tata Nano will not reach Bhutan for another one to two years, according to car dealers in Bhutan and those across the border. The Samden group and the state trading corporation of Bhutan (STCBL), the two Tata dealers in the country, were planning to import the car but, with the huge local demand in India, dealers in Bhutan were asked to wait for another year or two for their share of the market.

“Tata has asked us to wait for another one or two years. They said we’ll receive our share as and when their demands are met,” said STCB’s general manager, Deki Choden.

Indian car dealers, like Laxican motors in Siliguri and Balaji motors in Jaigaon, are also on the waiting list.

The Balaji motors salesperson said that they might receive their order in seven month’s time. But it was not guaranteed that Bhutanese customers would get their share. “We have a lottery system, wherein customers can fill a demand form and, if they win the lottery, they’ll get a car right away,” he said.

Tata, however, has said that it would try to float the supply for dealers in Bhutan by next year, depending on the demand situation in India.

Bhutanese dealers are not sure how many or when they get their first cars.

“We’re yet to confirm how many we’re going to import in the first phase,” said sales executive of Samden group, Chandra.

Source: BBS