Vehicle registrations in the Capital plummeted by over 76% between April and June this year, ostensibly due to the series of national lockdowns to contain COVID-19 and factors related to these compared to the same period in 2019, according to Delhi Transport Department records.
Just 37,363 vehicles across various categories were registered during the April-June quarter this year compared to 1,61,040 during the corresponding quarter last year with registrations of four-wheelers recording a decline of more than 81% and the number of two-wheelers being registered falling by over 73%.
According to the Delhi Economic Survey 2019-20, the total number of motor vehicles on the road in Delhi on March 31, 2019, was over 1.13 crore. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Executive Director Anumita Roy Chowdhury attributed the reduced registration figures to a combination of various factors including the provisions of four successive lockdowns, the economic slowdown and curbs on the sale of BS-IV vehicles.
Green recovery
On the other hand, however, the trend indicated an opportunity to effect a “green recovery” for the economy, making public transport a more favourable alternative in the long run and progressively flatten the pollution curve in a city with a burgeoning vehicular population.
“During this quarter, the lockdown, the economic slowdown, restrictions on the sale of BS-IV vehicles have contributed to lower registration numbers. But at the same time, during the lockdown, the Air Quality Index (AQI) and nitrogen dioxide levels were also noticed to have come down dramatically since traffic had disappeared,” she said.
The question, however, was whether and how long this trend – brought about “artificially” during national lockdowns – could continue. The pollution curve, she said, had flattened but began showing an upward trend in line with easing restrictions. But, in the meantime, an encouraging shift in public perception was also noticed. According to opinion surveys, Ms. Roy Chowdhury said, people were somewhat fearful of using public transport but the preference for walking and cycling has also increased. So, she said, while the usage of personal vehicles was expected to increase in the short term, in the longer run – that is in about one to two years – public perception is expected to be more favourable towards public transport. This, however, would require enabling policy decisions.
“Our economic recovery has to be a green recovery. The government’s fiscal stimulus should also go to public transportation. Sound public transportation policy, tied with a push for electric mobility and reducing incentives for those opting for the usage of personal vehicles can sustain this declining trend in vehicle registrations,” she said.
