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Chandigarh: Two-wheeler sales sparkle bright on Dhanteras
According to auto dealers, two-wheelers found more takers, as 340 sales were recorded compared to 200 of four-wheelers, all non-electric.
With the UT administration lifting the cap on non-electric vehicles owing to the festive season, over 500 city residents drove home their sparkling dream vehicles on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras.
According to auto dealers, two-wheelers found more takers, as 340 sales were recorded compared to 200 of four-wheelers, all non-electric. While 200 four-wheelers were sold on Dhanteras last year too, the number of two-wheelers bought was lower at 250. On a regular day, both segments see less than 100 sales each.
Vehicles of Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Hero MotoCorp were the most sought-after. Though delivery began at 8 am, vehicle showrooms remained open till late at night to cater to the demand.
Nitin Mehan, owner of Autopace, Chandigarh, said, “Auto sales saw a considerable rise on Dhanteras. Popular cars like Swift, Brezza, Grand Vitara and Baleno are not available now due to the increased demand.”
However, auto dealers lamented that though 700 two-wheelers were booked for Dhanteras, many buyers cancelled their bookings after the UT administration stopped registration of fuel-run two-wheelers on October 29.
On October 29, the administration had stopped registration of two-wheelers running on internal combustion engines (ICE) after the target fixed for 2023-24 in the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy was achieved. New registrations were possible only in April 2024.
But bowing to pressure from auto dealers and buyers, it had lifted the cap on November 8, allowing limitless registration of non-electric vehicles till Gurpurb on November 27.
Gold rush at jewellery stores
Despite the price of 24-carat gold soaring to ₹62,500 per 10 gm, there was a notable increase in gold demand as well, leading to a heavy rush at jewellery stores. Gagan Khurana, owner of Sham Jewellers in Sector 34, said people were actively purchasing gold till even 9.30 pm.
Traffic chaos reigns
With residents pouring out to make purchases on the auspicious day of Dhanteras, traffic jams were seen at most junctions through the evening, especially around popular markets in Sectors 17, 19, 22 and 35. Traffic police were present in most major markets, regulating traffic and towing away wrongly parked vehicles.
Amid high demand for cabs, passengers looking for one were left waiting for long periods. Any cabs available entailed surge pricing of four to six times.
