Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW Vol. 5 Num 668 Sun. April 16, 2006       Letters to Editor "Import of vehicles from India" Tanvir Ahmed, BRAC University Mr. Thomas Gomes Bhura wrote about import of vehicles from India on 6 April 2006. His idea about saving foreign exchange is good and he wished that our economists may devise a strategy to import Indian cars without compromising our relationship with Japan and widening the trade gap between Bangladesh and India. I have studied about automobiles of different countries of origin. The thing is Indian cars are cheap to buy but their maintenance and repair costs are comparatively higher than Japanese cars. In the long run, the owner has to pay a big amount to keep the car running. Those taxi-cab owners and drivers who have Indian cars are the biggest victims in this matter. They buy cabs at a low price but ultimately they have to pay much more than the actual price. On the other hand, Japanese cars (both reconditioned and brand new) are well made, durable and reliable. They have low maintenance cost and have higher fuel economy. Most Japanese cars run on Electronic Fuel Injection system which reduces the emission of Greenhouse gases.