There is alarming news for advocates of public transport and the reduction of private vehicles on the road. Mumbai and its surrounding regions have added 9.9% vehicles on the road in 2019, while Maharashtra has added 27 lakh private vehicles, a near 8.4% increase as compared to the previous year.
As per the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2018-19, the vehicle density is at 28,380 vehicles per lakh population and 115 vehicles per kilometre road length. The total number of vehicles on the road as on January 1, 2019 is at 3.49 crore, of which 35.75 lakh vehicles or 10.2% are in Mumbai and its surrounding townships. The maximum increase was reported in autorickshaws, which saw a jump of 19.7%, while ambulances increased by 5.3% alongside an 8.7% increase in two-wheelers and a 7.5% increase in light motor vehicles (cars, jeeps, station wagons and taxis).
The survey also pointed to an increased fatality count in road accidents. Maharashtra reported 35,955 deaths in road accidents in 2018 over 35,853 deaths in the previous year. The fatality count in the corresponding year in Mumbai region was 3,139 as opposed to 3,160 in 2017, the report said. “Every year, we organise plays and lectures based on theme of road safety in the State. As a result, the number of accidents per thousand vehicles in Maharashtra during 2018 was only 10,” the report said.
The survey attributes the increase in vehicle count to measures taken by the State to streamline the driving licence system. Licences are being issued by the State government in the form of smart cards through a portal called SARTHI and VAHAN. “The number of valid motor driving licences in the State in the end of March 2018 was at 341.07 lakh, showing an increase of 4.1% over the previous year,” the report said. The number of learning licences issued in the State during 2017-18 was at 18.1 lakh.
The report also pointed to an improvement in public transport in the State, with the Maharashtra State Road Transportation Corporation (MSRTC) carrying an average of 66.98 lakh passengers per day. “The public passenger road transport is one of the major modes of passenger transport in cities. It is available in 21 cities of the State. MSRTC directly connects about 76% villages, while for 15% of villages, the bus service is available within 3 km, and for 5% and 4%, it is available between 3 km and 5 km,” the report said.
