Hyderabad Have 9.20 Lakh Four-Wheelers

Amid growing concerns over rising pollution levels and traffic congestions, the number of four-wheelers in the city has been growing at a rapid pace and racing towards the million mark.

Each year, the number of new cars entering the city roads has been going up and with the last year adding close to 85,000, the four-wheeler fleet in the city by the end of 2017 ended up at whopping 9.20 lakh.The statistics point out the key factor behind the increasing traffic snarls and dropping average speeds in the city.As per the data available with the Road Transport Authority (RTA), each day last year on an average closed with the registration of 234 new cars as against 160 four-wheelers three years ago. This is read as a rise of 74 more cars entering the city roads in 2017 as against 2014.

According to the RTA officials, on an average, 7,000 cars were being brought for registration every month. “We already have 9.20 lakh four-wheelers and are heading towards the 1 million mark,” said an official.Out of the present fleet of cars in the city, around 8 lakh vehicles are privately owned with the remaining serving as cabs and taxis, he said.J Pandurang Naik, Joint Transport Commissioner said in a metropolitan city such as Hyderabad, a car was seen as a basic need and in some places having a luxury car was considered as a prestige possession. The growing urban population with increased income levels had resulted in the growth of car population, he said.

However, the rapid rise of the vehicle strength in the city has far outgrown the available road network. “The efforts taken up to expand the road network availability does not match the rapid increase in vehicles. Public transportation becoming more vibrant and a large chunk of road users shifting to it is one of the viable solutions,” said another official.

As per the data, the city only had 4 lakh four-wheelers before 2010, the year when their numbers started to escalate sharply.

Its not just the cars, even the presence of two-wheelers on city roads has escalated drastically in last few years. The RTA statistics put the bike numbers in the ctiy as being close to 40 lakhs and counting.A perusal of the registrations show that over 900 new two-wheelers are added every day and in the year 2017, the number of two-wheelers registered stood at around 3.30 lakh. “The city by the year 2012 had 24.90 lakh two-wheelers which in just five years rose to touch the 40 lakh mark,” said the official.

Actually, put together, both two and four-wheelers, which constitutes about 90 per cent of city’s total vehicles is around 50 lakh which places Hyderabad in the fifth position after Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai.