Bike registrations in Mumbai still to reach pre-Covid levels, ETAuto
Experts said that between 2017 and 2019, there was no proper public transport service, due to which many citizens bought two-wheelers for short distance travel or from home to the railway station and back.Mumbai: It’s been almost three years since the pandemic hit and then subsided, but annual bike registration numbers in the city remain behind pre-Covid levels and have not returned to “normalcy”, the latest shows. Transport Department statistics. In contrast, private car registration numbers in 2022 are 37 per cent higher than the pre-Covid year of 2019.
Bike registration numbers were higher between 2017 and 2019 when the city’s public transport was considered “inadequate and unaffordable”. However, the latest bike registration figures for 2022 show that they are 12 per cent lower than the pre-Covid year of 2019 and 22 per cent lower than annual registrations in 2018.
Experts said that between 2017 and 2019, there was no proper public transport service, due to which many citizens bought two-wheelers for short distance travel or from home to the railway station and back.
Experts said with BEST reducing the fare for 5 km to Rs 6 for AC buses since mid-2019 and the introduction of several AC feeders and shorter routes in the last few years, there has been no significant increase in bike registrations in the city. Besides, people have started moving out of their homes since last year and traveling by trains, taxis, autorickshaws and buses and do not need bikes, some experts said.
From AV Shenoy Mumbai Mobility Forum said, “There are two possible reasons why the two-wheeler population has touched pre-Covid levels. First, public transport, especially BEST bus services, has improved a lot across the city. The 2019 decision by then BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi to cut bus fares and make it affordable for the common man has played a significant role in many people switching to BEST. The daily ridership has increased to 36 lakh compared to pre-Covid 32 lakh.”
Shenoy further said that the common man’s mode of transport is scooter or bike, which are seen in large numbers outside SRA flats, chawls and slums. “If they get affordable public transport, they would not like to buy more two-wheelers for themselves or for family transportation,” Shenoy said.
Shenoy said, the second major reason was that people were hit economically during Covid and it affected the purchasing power of the lower class and middle class, where a large section buys two-wheelers.
Retired senior transport officer KT Golani said many citizens prefer to switch to electric two-wheelers and there are some low-end categories where registration of vehicles is not required. “So possibly, there are two-wheelers that are sold but not registered and that has no impact on Transport Department statisticsGolani said.
rto However, sources said the bike with an electric motor whose power is less than 250W and a maximum speed of 25 kmph will not be a big seller. As for registered electric bikeMumbai has more than 15,000 so far and are included in the transport statistics every year.
A two-wheeler dealer from the eastern suburbs said sales of scooters and motorcycles are usually higher during Ganeshotsav, Dussehra, Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya, Gudi Padwa and other festivals. “Though there were not significant sales in some months in the last two years, sales during the festive season were always high,” he said.
One rto The official said the annual bike registration number was about 20,000 less in 2022 compared to the pre-Covid level of 2019.
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