Mumbai: A total of 2,818 cars and 5,034 bicycles are registered for two weeks delivery during the Dussehra here when people packed the showroom on Friday to take new vehicles on a favorable day.
Although RTO officials said they received a lot of registration this year, there were still 13% less cars and 39% fewer two wheels, compared to Dussehra last year, right after the first wave of Covid-19.
The only silver layer is that the car registered 3% more than pre-covid time (Dussehra 2019).
Statistics show that the total car registered for Dussehra this time was 2,818, compared with 2,724 at pre-covid time in 2019, and 3,254 during the same festival in 2020.
The number of bicycles registered for Dussehra’s delivery this year is 5,077, compared to 7,077 two wheels during pre-covid time in 2019 and 8,217 bicycles during last year’s festival.
Dussehra, most of the registration of cars and bicycles is in the city of the island (765 cars and 1,522 bicycles), while the car registration is at least in Wadala (604) and at least a bicycle in Borivli RTO (995), Statistics of the State Transportation Office shows.
“When it comes to motorbikes and scooters, registration in the last two weeks is less than two years earlier.
It was 30% less than 2020 and 28% less than 2019.
A large arc for cars and bicycles was in 2020, as soon as the first wave of Covid , because many private vehicles are preferred for transportation.
It is also a form of good social blasphemy, compared to crowded public transportation, “said a senior transportation official.
The purchase of a new car here usually peaked during Diwali, Dussehra, Gudi Padwa and Akshaya Tritiya.
This is considered a day of luck to start a business, shift to a new apartment, buy a new car / two-wheeled car or buy gold (Dhanteras).
Some applicants submitted a special number plate, which came for premium.
Numbers are given through the computerized system, officials said.
Despite fewer staff, RTOS in Tardeo, Wadala, Andheri and Borivli cleared all registration on time.
All new vehicles will have a new BS6 engine with better emissions norms and dealers say they will add a high-security registration number plate on the vehicle.
The transportation department has empowered car dealers and bicycles to complete vehicle registration and payment of fees with minimal involvement of RTO staff.
The whole process is online, there are less opportunities for corruption, officials said.
“This has accelerated the registration of orders and new buyers who are happy to get delivery according to the preferred scheduled date,” added senior RTO officials.