Every day, 700 new vehicles hit Mumbai roads
The number of vehicles being registered in Mumbai has gone up to a staggering 700 per day. The figure was 461 seven years ago. Latest data from the state transport department shows that more than 2.5 lakh vehicles, including four- and two-wheelers, are being registered annually. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of daily vehicle registrations was an average 500, which has risen dramatically since then.
Transport experts fear that traffic snarls are here to stay with most roads dug up for Metro construction or sewerage works. Also, the overall length of roads has remained almost the same over the years at around 2,000km.
With most roads dug up for Metro construction or sewerage work in Mumbai and motorists fuming over regular traffic jams, what is more alarming is the fact that total number of new vehicles hitting roads daily has gone up drastically -- from 461 vehicle registrations per day seven years back to nearly 700 new vehicles daily as on date.
Said transport expert Sunil Mone : "We have maximum two-wheeler population on the road and their numbers are increasing every year. In fact, the Metro construction work and the barricades may have hampered traffic movement in the city. But once the Metro projects are completed, it could take the burden off private vehicles on roads. In fact, lot of bikers will switch to Metro as was seen in case of the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro corridor." He pointed out that the day the VAG corridor was thrown open to public, the bike population from Versova to Andheri dropped and this was visible by the decline in bike parking outside Andheri railway station. A similar shift could be expected from private cars to the Metro trains, he stated.
Another transport expert Rishi Aggarwal said that the daily increase in new cars, bikes and other vehicles on roads has become a conundrum for those living in the city. "Can we do something like Singapore -- put a freeze on number of vehicles on the road ? Else, we need to urgently invest in good public transport -- which means using less number of vehicles carrying more citizens. We also need to add more buses apart from Metro and other projects."
According to him, the digging up of roads for Metro construction work on Western Express highway was a major hurdle for motorists. "But I think in just six months, most of the work will be completed and the carriageway will be available,'' he said. "Once all Metro lines are up and running, there will also be a shift from BEST and local trains to the Metro,'' he stated.
The latest statistics showed that for every 700 new vehicles, there were nearly 400 two-wheelers including motorcycles and scooters hitting roads daily.
According to a study, private cars occupy 85% of road space while public transport occupy just 15% but carry more number of passengers. The rise in private cars at a time when the road space is narrowed due to digging, illegal encroachment and other factors could lead to parking woes.
A senior transport department official said that there were proposals on paper to increase cess on petrol/diesel and impose congestion tax (for entry into commercial hubs) so that citizens are dissuaded from bringing private cars on roads.
Every day, 700 new vehicles hit Mumbai roads - Times of India
The number of vehicles being registered in Mumbai has gone up to a staggering 700 per day. The figure was 461 seven years ago. Latest data from the state transport department shows that more than 2.5 lakh vehicles, including four- and two-wheelers, are being registered annually. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of daily vehicle registrations was an average 500, which has risen dramatically since then.
Transport experts fear that traffic snarls are here to stay with most roads dug up for Metro construction or sewerage works. Also, the overall length of roads has remained almost the same over the years at around 2,000km.
With most roads dug up for Metro construction or sewerage work in Mumbai and motorists fuming over regular traffic jams, what is more alarming is the fact that total number of new vehicles hitting roads daily has gone up drastically -- from 461 vehicle registrations per day seven years back to nearly 700 new vehicles daily as on date.
Said transport expert Sunil Mone : "We have maximum two-wheeler population on the road and their numbers are increasing every year. In fact, the Metro construction work and the barricades may have hampered traffic movement in the city. But once the Metro projects are completed, it could take the burden off private vehicles on roads. In fact, lot of bikers will switch to Metro as was seen in case of the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro corridor." He pointed out that the day the VAG corridor was thrown open to public, the bike population from Versova to Andheri dropped and this was visible by the decline in bike parking outside Andheri railway station. A similar shift could be expected from private cars to the Metro trains, he stated.
Another transport expert Rishi Aggarwal said that the daily increase in new cars, bikes and other vehicles on roads has become a conundrum for those living in the city. "Can we do something like Singapore -- put a freeze on number of vehicles on the road ? Else, we need to urgently invest in good public transport -- which means using less number of vehicles carrying more citizens. We also need to add more buses apart from Metro and other projects."
According to him, the digging up of roads for Metro construction work on Western Express highway was a major hurdle for motorists. "But I think in just six months, most of the work will be completed and the carriageway will be available,'' he said. "Once all Metro lines are up and running, there will also be a shift from BEST and local trains to the Metro,'' he stated.
The latest statistics showed that for every 700 new vehicles, there were nearly 400 two-wheelers including motorcycles and scooters hitting roads daily.
According to a study, private cars occupy 85% of road space while public transport occupy just 15% but carry more number of passengers. The rise in private cars at a time when the road space is narrowed due to digging, illegal encroachment and other factors could lead to parking woes.
A senior transport department official said that there were proposals on paper to increase cess on petrol/diesel and impose congestion tax (for entry into commercial hubs) so that citizens are dissuaded from bringing private cars on roads.
Every day, 700 new vehicles hit Mumbai roads - Times of India