Like in many other cities, sales of gearless scooters are increasing every passing year in the city. For the last couple of years, many people in Bezawada seem to be giving priority to comfort and convenience over fuel consumption and price.
While, bad roads and frequent traffic jams bring tears to the commuters, they are definitely bringing smiles to dealers of different automobile manufacturers in the city as all these factors are fuelling the sales of gearless scooters.
Price and fuel consumption appear to be no deterrent for buyers. Despite the price of gearless scooters being on a par with bikes, and mileage is also less, buyers are not worried about these factors, says Srinivasa Rao, manager of Aditya Automobiles and dealers of TVS.
“Every year gearless scooters sales are increasing by 15 per cent. It is not just driving comfort, people are finding them convenient even to transport a 25-rice bag using these vehicles,” says Mr. Rao.
There is definitely a significant change in the approach of two-wheeler buyers. Given the hassles of driving in traffic jams, bad roads and shifting gears frequently, many are opting for gearless scooters over high-performance bikes, says V. Prabhu Prasad, Managing Director of Vallurupalli Automobiles Private Limited and dealers for Suzuki. Though there is still a considerable difference in the sales charts of bikes and gearless scooters, it is slowly decreasing each year. In tune with the changing preferences of buyers, companies too are launching different models to cater their requirements, he explains. Initially, gearless scooters were preferred more by women but for the last couple of years, men, especially sales executives, middle-aged persons too are opting for these vehicles.
