The Tata Ace – is it really the 'Workhorse of India' or just a safety hazard on wheels?

At the same time, the Tata Ace, often dubbed the backbone of last mile delivery in India, is also infamous for its overloading and reckless driving. On the other hand, it’s contributed to affordable transportation for countless small business. But these mini trucks are often involved in accidents because they become unstable when overloaded. But there’s also the problem of driver fatigue, many Ace drivers work long hours just to make ends meet. For some, the Ace is an affordable and useful utility machine, and its safety concerns are outweighed by that fact; for others, the Ace is a dangerous machine that needs to be more heavily regulated. More often than not, the debate also extends to broader questions of road safety, the need for an informal transport mechanism in the national economy and the increased challenge of regulating informal sectors in developing economies.