200 scooters and bikes get RTO nod in city every day

Even as more and more Mumbaiites opt to buy their own vehicles rather than cope with the over-burdened public transport, people are favouring two-wheelers over cars.

Even as more and more Mumbaiites opt to buy their own vehicles rather than cope with the over-burdened public transport, people are favouring two-wheelers over cars.

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With an average of 200 new two-wheelers registered in the city’s regional transport offices (RTO) every day, the number of two-wheelers in Mumbai are growing at twice the rate as the number of cars.

Two decades ago, the number of bikes and scooters registered in Mumbai was far lower than the number of cars. “More than 55% of the total vehicle population on city roads are two-wheelers,” said a deputy transport commissioner, requesting anonymity. Currently, of the 20 lakh registered vehicles on the roads, 11 lakh are two-wheelers.

“This trend suggests that our public transport system has failed to cater to people’s requirements,” said Shirish Thakur, additional transport commissioner.

It’s not difficult to understand why Mumbaiites are choosing two-wheelers: they come cheaper, give better mileage, and it’s easier to get out of traffic jams when you’re on a bike than a car.