Ghaziabad: The city recorded a 5.8% dip in the sales of four-wheelers and a 12.8% rise in the sales of two-wheelers during Navratri this year compared to Navratri last year. According to auto experts, the numbers reflect the demand of the lower middle class, and a reluctance to use cars on congested roads.During Navratri, celebrated from October 15-24 this year, the city saw sales of 1,247 four-wheelers and 2,288 two-wheelers, according to the data provided by the RTO. Between September 26 and October 5 last Navratri, the city had seen sales of 1,324 four-wheelers and 2,029 two-wheelers. The overall motor vehicle (MV) taxes that the RTO collected has increased slightly. The RTO earned Rs 15.7 crore in MV taxes this Navratri against Rs 14.9 crore in the last.There is a trend of people buying vehicles during Navratri as it is considered auspicious. Over the past many Navratris, barring the pandemic years, the sale of two-wheelers and four-wheelers have only increased, but this time around, the sale of four-wheelers dipped as compared to last year, said PK Singh, RTO (administration).This points to a shift in the consumers preference, said auto expert Rameshrwam Saran. It may imply that the demand of the lower middle class has taken precedence over that of the upper middle class, he said.Ghaziabad is a satellite town of Delhi. People from all sections commute within the city or to other NCR cities for work. While two-wheelers are the preferred mode of commuting by people in the lower middle class, both the upper and upper middle classes prefer four-wheelers, added Saran.The numbers may also indicate that people are not buying bigger vehicles because of the traffic snarls that one witnesses on roads daily and switching to public transport, said the auto expert.We also published the following articles recentlyRecord 7,155 two-wheelers registered this DussehraTwo-wheeler registrations in Mumbai reached a record high of 7,155 during the week leading up to Dussehra, a 67% increase compared to the same period last year. The rise in registrations is attributed to people wanting to avoid crowded public transport, especially for short journeys. Car registrations, on the other hand, declined by 13% compared to last year but remained 46% higher than pre-Covid levels. Electric vehicle deliveries increased by 18% compared to last year. Analysts suggest that the government should encourage public transport by offering low-price tickets.PUCC violations: 1.5 lakh challans till Oct 15, mostly to two-wheelersTraffic police data in Delhi reveals that two-wheelers are the main contributors to vehicular pollution, followed by cars. In response to the poor air quality, the Delhi Traffic Police has launched a crackdown on vehicles without a Pollution under Control Certificate (PUCC). From January to October 15, a total of 1,58,762 challans were issued for PUCC violations. Two-wheelers accounted for the highest number of violations, with 1,18,409 cases, followed by cars with 33,754 cases. It is mandatory for vehicles in India to have a valid PUCC, which certifies that the vehicle meets emission norms.No. of private vehicles in Bengaluru to cross 1-cr mark; over 75L are 2-wheelersThe number of private vehicles registered in Bengaluru is expected to reach one crore by the end of the festive season. Currently, there are 99.8 lakh private vehicles in the city, with 75.6 lakh being two-wheelers and 23.1 lakh being cars. Despite the availability of public transport options like the Metro and ride-sharing apps, many people still rely on private vehicles for their daily commute. The citys vehicular population has doubled since 2012-13, and experts believe that the expansion of the Metro network and increase in BMTC fleet size will help reduce reliance on private vehicles.

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