Number Of Vehicles In Pune Almost Matches City’s Population
Pune, 25th October 2022: One of the factors contributing to Pune’s worsening traffic situation is the city’s growing vehicle population. The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) registered 43.40 lakh vehicles in 17 different categories through September this year. The number is now nearly equal to the city’s population, which was 35 lakh according to the 2011 Census, with another 10 lakh added by the merger of 23 villages with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). According to information provided by the Pune RTO, the vehicle registration process in the Pune region is consistent with each fiscal year. From 2012 to 2022, there has been a significant increase in the number of vehicles, particularly four-wheelers, two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and taxi cabs.
Motorcycles top the list of vehicles, with 3,223,135 bikes currently on city streets, followed by 753,222 cars. Interestingly, during the last fiscal year, the Pune RTO registered the most cars (51,066) in the last ten years (2021-22). The reason for this was that everyone wanted to travel safely with their families following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, the number of auto-rickshaws and taxi cabs in Pune has grown over time. There are currently 88,674 autos and 36,946 registered taxi cabs serving passengers throughout the city. Whereas Pune’s approximate population has reached 45 lakh – nearly the same as the number of vehicles on its roads – causing massive traffic congestion.
Sanjeev Bhor, deputy regional transport officer, Pune RTO, said, “The graph of vehicle registration has increased over the years, and it has been noticed that along with bikes, the number of four-wheelers has also gone up, especially during the last two years. Currently, we have a total of 4,340,676 vehicles registered and running on city roads. Using public transport and giving better facilities to citizens will reduce the use of private vehicles, which in turn might provide some relief in terms of traffic congestion.”
Atul Namekar, Secretary of Sinhagad road-Warje Residents’ Association said, “We face traffic jams daily on the bypass highway and even on other major roads in Pune. As there are no good public transport facilities to travel within the city, most people choose to travel by car or bike, leading to an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. If everyone chooses to travel by public transport and the government gives better facilities, there will certainly be fewer traffic issues in future.”
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