-Eco-friendly vehicles LCDS-compatible
VISIONARY AND caring leadership is the composition that has created happy homes, successful businesses, peaceful communities, and prosperous countries; and it is Roshan Khan’s visionary and caring leadership that has created the RK business empire from an investment capital of $700.00.
The latest addition to the RK conglomerate is an eco-friendly, low-cost, low-maintenance, highly versatile vehicle that melds the vision of His Excellency, President Bharrat Jagdeo as adumbrated in his Redd + initiative and LCDS, Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who envisioned the immense benefits such a vehicle could provide to the Guyanese society, and a businessman who visualized the immense wealth-creational and sectoral developmental opportunities inherent in these cheap and versatile vehicles, and who had the foresight to invest in the concretization of this idea.
This is one of the best examples of Government/Private Sector partnerships in the country’s developmental demographics.
The RK Eco-Star Motos is a new, innovative, and extremely versatile line of environmentally-friendly auto-rickshaws that is being introduced to the Guyanese market by RK Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Roshan Khan.
Highly-popular for decades in Asian territories, the new addition to the RK brand was launched on 15th September 2010 by President Jagdeo on the tarmac of the National Cultural Centre.
On that occasion the President said that the vehicles are consistent with Guyana’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprints “….if we could demonstrate to the developed world that we can achieve prosperity and that we can meet the needs of our people through an alternative, non-polluting pathway, it could become a useful lesson for them to emulate.”
And while it may seem ambitious, even presumptuous, for the Head of a tiny, third-world country to set examples for emulation by powerful first-countries, Guyana’s President Jagdeo has done just that, for which he has been recognized worldwide, and awarded by many international organizations, including the United Nations Environmental Programme, which honoured him as Champion of the Earth in 2010.
RK’s Eco-Star Motos has become integral to Guyana’s LCDS and is poised to revolutionize transportation in Guyana.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has been reported as lobbying for years for the adoption of such a venture, because he is convinced that such vehicles have catalysed development in Asian countries.  According to the Prime Minister, “….you want to have the kind of equipment and vehicles that would allow people to advance stage by stage.”
CEO Roshan Khan is to be commended for his ingenuity and commitment to advance Guyana’s LCDS through this latest initiative, while simultaneously providing a boost to Government’s developmental thrust.
All the sectors can benefit from this venture, because acquiring one of these vehicles needs minimal financial outlay, but, starting from the base, they can be converted to facilitate use for family outings, for transporting passengers and produce, for touring the country.  Some are hydraulic for easy discharge.
The possibilities are limitless and the venture is consistent with Government’s drive to empower the vulnerable.  Residents in the hinterland regions have already begun purchasing the vehicle and are reporting excellent results.
As an instance, the Women of Worth (WoW) programme in the social sector could provide single mothers with small children with one of these vehicles.  If there is no-one to take care of the children while they work they can keep their children with them and use the vehicles to sell produce in urban communities to housewives whom are reluctant to leave their houses and go shopping.  They can transport passengers from the main road into hard-to-reach areas in housing developments.  They can partner with hardware and other stores to deliver small items, or small amounts of goods to customers.  They can partner with hotels, and even the Ministry of tourism by educating themselves on the highlights of their country and take visitors on sightseeing tours.
Also, stores, service providers, such as shipping agents, and even manufacturers can offer a subsidiary service of cheap transportation of goods.  The smallest of these three-wheelers can transport a minimum of 1500 lbs.
The Tourism sector can benefit tremendously because these vehicles are light and are easily transportable by either boat or plane, so an enterprising group can get together and pool their resources to acquire a fleet of these auto-rickshaws to hire out to visitors who want to tour hinterland and other wide-ranging regions, because these vehicles can traverse the most difficult and rugged terrain, with the added advantage that, if they get bogged down in mud, they can easily be lifted out by manual effort.  They can be used with or without a canopy and, using the convertible base, can be fabricated to suit any peculiar need.  Visitors can tour the entire country in comfort and at their own convenience in these vehicles at minimal cost.
Mr. Roshan Khan said that Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has recognized the potential that this vehicle has to transform the transportation dynamics in the sector he heads because, not since the scrapping of the railway system or the silting up of waterways have farmers had access to such a convenient and affordable method for transporting their produce “out of the backdam and straight to market”, which will greatly minimize loss and destruction of perishable items.
Khan said that the auto-rickshaws will be on display for the benefit of farmers at a Government-sponsored agri-expo to be held on the 28th of January next.
He referred to the many countries in the East that have based their development paradigm on such innovative initiatives – India, from where these vehicles originated as auto-rickshaws; China, where he was first motivated to enter into this venture; Africa, the Middle-East, many communities in Europe and North America, where the vehicles are becoming popular alternatives to other modes of vehicular transportation.
Khan said that in Africa, donkey carts had been the most popular means of transport, but they are now being replaced by auto-rickshaws, which is more economically-viable, because donkeys need food, rest and get sick and die, whereby the three-wheelers are very durable and low-cost maintenance, because they can provide between 160 to 200 miles of travel per gallon of fuel, in comparison to trucks and even some cars and SUVs, which have a 12 miles per gallon fuel consumption rate.
The vehicles are priced at amounts ranging from $450,000 to $900,000 and can be purchased though loans at the Demerara Bank with no collateral and at a very low interest rate, according to Mr. Khan.  They come with a warranty of six months, or an optional 12 months.
According to Mr. Khan, the components, which are certified at international standards and approved by Europe and North America, are sourced from China and assembled in RK’s Eco-Star Motos factory.  This is a historic initiative that has never before been attempted in Guyana, according to the RK CEO.
He assured potential buyers that the engines, although resembling ordinary motorcycle engines, are powerful torgue motors manufactured for the first time under a Guyanese name brand, because RK’s Eco-Star Motos is emblazoned on each engine.
The electronic rickshaw can travel up to 90 km with one charge, and comes with its own charger and accessories.  Parts of these vehicles are easily accessible and unique components can be custom-built to suit individual needs by the company.
Staunch Moslem Roshan Khan respects every religion in the world because he believes in the universatility of the race of mankind, and deplores those who create rifts in and suffering to the human family.
Very family-centric, Khan has on display in pride of place in his office photographs and mementoes of his family; even baby valentine and birthday cards from his now-grown children.
Roshan Khan also possesses a strong social conscience and is involved in many organizations and activities to enhance the lives of the vulnerable members of society.
According to the RK CEO, his personal life is not distinct from his entrepreneurial life because he brings to each the same characteristics of commitment, caring, hard-work, and compassion.
The Mission Statement of his new affiliate line is: “To revolutionize passenger and cargo transport:  To empower the small man, and to make environmentally-friendly automobiles affordable to all.”