Despite economic slowdown, registration of new vehicles up by 28% on Dussehra in Mumbai

Despite the economic crisis amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the registration of the new vehicles on the occasion of Dussehra saw a significant rise in the city and across

Despite the economic crisis amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the registration of the new vehicles on the occasion of Dussehra saw a significant rise in the city and across Maharashtra, as compared to the registrations last year during the festival.

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A total of 599 new vehicles were registered across city’s four Regional Transport Offices (RTO) on Sunday over last year’s registration of 469 on the day of Dussehra. The city has witnessed 28% rise in registrations of vehicles this year.

Registrations of the new four and two-wheeler vehicles are done at Tardeo, Wadala, Andheri and Borivli RTOs. Tardeo office registered 160 new vehicles on Sunday against 41 last year on Dussehra, while Wadala saw the registration of 170 vehicles against last year’s number of 42. At Andheri RTO, 241 registration were reported against last Dussehra’s number of 192. However, the Borivli transport office has been the exception to the trend as it registered only 28 vehicles as opposed to 194 vehicles registered last year.

Transport experts have attributed the rise in the registration to non-availability of local trains in the wake of the lockdown imposed amid Covid-19 pandemic. “People are buying more two-wheelers because of the non-availability of local trains and the Covid situation. They have no choice, apart from buying individual mode of transport. This could be harmful in the future as pollution levels could rise. But there is no alternative available for them in the current situation,” said transport expert AV Shenoy.

“There has been an increase in vehicle registrations in nearly all the RTOs comparing last year’s Dussehra. The rise appears to be high because there was a significant dip in vehicle registrations the previous year,” said senior RTO official.