Karnataka has 2 crore vehicles; Bengaluru choked with 76 lakh

BENGALURU: In an alarming indication that more number of people are switching from public transport to private commute, Karnataka’s vehicular population has now touched 2 crores.
The transport department’s records till July 31 this year show the state has 1.99 crore vehicles, recording nearly 100% rise in seven years. Going by the annual vehicle growth rate of 8-10%, the number would have crossed 2 crores by September-end.

Bengaluru Urban district, with 10 Regional Transport Offices, continued to lead in the number of vehicles at 76.2 lakh. It is followed by Belagavi transport division at 35.7 lakh, and it consists of Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Vijayapura, Bagalkot and Uttara Kannada disricts. Shivamogga division with Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chitradurga, Davanagere and Chikkamagaluru districts stood third with 29.9 lakh vehicles.
With 22 lakh vehicles, Mysuru division that comprises Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, Kodagu and Hassan districts stands fourth.
B’luru Urban has most number of vehicles
As many as 19.3 lakh vehicles have been registered in Kalaburagi division that includes Kalaburagi, Ballari, Raichur, Koppal, Bidar and Yadgir districts. Bengaluru Rural division, including Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Kolar and Chikkaballapura accounts for 16.7 lakh vehicles.
Of the 1.99 crore vehicles, two-wheelers constitute 1.4 crore and cars 23.7 lakh. The number of public transport vehicles registered in the state remains less: buses (1 lakh), cabs (3.3 lakh) and autorickshaws (4.4 lakh).
The number of vehicles in the state was 82.9 lakh in 2008-09, 1 crore in 2011-12, 1.6 crore in 2015-16 and 1.9 crore in 2017-18. According to 2011 Census, Karnataka’s population is 6.1 crore.
Vehicular population in four districts has crossed the 10-lakh mark. Belagavi district is home to the maximum number of vehicles after Bengaluru Urban district, which has 74.1 lakh vehicles. As of March 31, Belagavi had 11.6 lakh vehicles and Mangaluru following closely at 11.2 lakh. Mysuru district is fourth with 10.4 lakh vehicles. Tumakuru district has 6.8 lakh vehicles.
Experts are worried that the sharp rise in the number of vehicles could worsen the traffic situation, and lead to more pollution and accidents. They say the government should promote public mass transport system. Easy availability of EMIs and inefficient public transport are encouraging more people to buy vehicles.
MN Srihari, a traffic expert, said the government should learn from the mistakes of Bengaluru. “These smaller cities should have mass transport system and dedicated lanes for buses to encourage more people to use public transport. The government should take steps to stagger work hours and shift industries and tech parks to the peripheries to avoid traffic congestion,” he said, adding the government should increase taxes.