In 2023, over 2.5 million new vehicles were added to the road network in Maharashtra, bringing the total digitally registered vehicles in the state to 35.8 million, according to an official statement on Monday. Data from the state transport department indicates that 2,563,491 new vehicles were registered in Maharashtra during 2023, reflecting a 7.91% increase compared to the 2,374,591 registrations in the preceding year.

Comparatively, in 2022, 23.74 lakh vehicles were registered, witnessing a substantial 23.46% surge from the 19.23 lakh registrations in 2019. Notably, among the newly registered vehicles in 2023, approximately 1.76 million were two-wheelers. During the festive season between October and December, more than 700,000 new vehicles were registered, with October recording 242,000 registrations, followed by 305,000 in November and 229,000 in December.

The data further reveals that out of the total registrations, 245,000 were commercial vehicles with yellow number plates, 1.76 million were two-wheelers, 433,000 were cars, and over 80,000 were tractors. In terms of fuel types, 1.788 million new vehicles were petrol-run, 299,000 were diesel-run, and 194,000 were electric vehicles.

In Mumbai, specific Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) reported significant registration numbers, including 66,873 at Tardeo, 66,692 at Wadala, 64,766 at Borivali, and 55,967 at Andheri. Surprisingly, Thane RTO witnessed the registration of 1.12 lakh new vehicles, surpassing the combined registrations of the four RTO offices in Mumbai.

Experts and former RTO officials express concerns, suggesting that the registration of over 2.5 million vehicles in the state and more than 250,000 vehicles in Mumbai and Pune within a year highlights the shortcomings of public transport. They warn that if not promptly addressed, this trend could lead to increased congestion and a higher likelihood of accidents.