Mumbai buys more cars this festive season

Mumbai’s appetite for private motor vehicles has jumped substantially. Data from all the three regional transport offices (RTOs) — eastern, central and western — reveals that this festive season has seen the highest number of purchases.    

According to an official from the central region RTO in Tardeo, 2,651 vehicles were registered in the first 16 days of October this year as compared to the 2,857 registered in September 2009, the month when the festivals were celebrated last year. “This is a substantial increase in vehicle buying. We expect the number to reach 4,000 by the end of this month.”

At Andheri RTO, whose jurisdiction runs through the western suburbs, the numbers are even higher. If 5,457 vehicles were registered in September 2009, the first 16 days of October saw 4,720 vehicles being registered. An official estimated that at least 3,000 more vehicles may be registered by the month-end. 

However, at the eastern RTO in Wadala, the increase has not been significant. In the last 16 days of September last year, 1,794 vehicles were registered as against 1,866 in the first 16 days of October this year. 

According to Nitin Dossa, president of the Western India Automobile association (WIAA), the growth in buying of motor vehicles this year has been beyond expectations. In fact, he said, the growth in demand is so much that the manufacturers have not been able to keep up with the supply. “On an average, people have to wait for anything between 15 days to a month before the vehicles are delivered.”