By Damith Wickramasekera A near 40 per cent drop in the registration of new motor cars has been recorded during the first two months of this year when compared with the corresponding period last year. Motor Traffic Commissioner General S. H. Harischandra told the Sunday Times the registration of motor cars both petrol and diesel [...]

Feeds Editorials Times Online

News

Motor vehicle registration drops in first two months this year

View(s):

By Damith Wickramasekera

A near 40 per cent drop in the registration of new motor cars has been recorded during the first two months of this year when compared with the corresponding period last year.

Motor Traffic Commissioner General S. H. Harischandra told the Sunday Times the registration of motor cars both petrol and diesel for the first two months of the current year was 2894 while it stood at 5336 during the first two months of 2012.

There has also been a sharp drop in the registration of motorcycles, three-wheelers and buses. Only 14,000 new three-wheelers were registered compared with 20,000 last year, while last year during the first two months 44,000 new motorcycles were registered, it stood at 26,000, a near 45 per cent decline, this year, he said.

In the case of buses for the first two months of last year 701 buses were registered while it was only 305 for this year, Mr. Harischandra added. However in contrast there has been an increase in the new registration of hybrid vehicles for the first two months of this year, he said.

Last year 546 hybrid vehicles were registered while 700 have been given fresh registration for the current year. Mr. Harischandra also said last year over 397,000 vehicles were registered with the single largest category being motorcycles numbering a little over 192,000, .An estimated 26,000 motor vehicles are registered each month and the figures are likely to increase in some categories and drop in others, he said.

Meanwhile, Vehicle Importers’ Association of Lanka Secretary Keerthi Gunawardana told the Sunday Times that there has been a 50 per cent drop in sales and the reasons could be many. He said there were less buyers because of economic difficulties, many finding it hard to pay bank loans while on the other hand many importers too were closing up shop.

“Some vehicle importers have gone to the extent of mortgaging their private property to settle bank loans,” Mr. Gunawardana said.




Share This Post

DeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspace
comments powered by Disqus

Advertising Rates

Please contact the advertising office on 011 - 2479521 for the advertising rates.