More than 11 vehicles were registered every hour in Kolkata in 2024. The Public Vehicles Department (PVD) led with more than 104 vehicle registrations per day. The burgeoning number of vehicles, however, poses significant challenges. While 2,185 buses were decommissioned last year, only 154 new ones were registered across the four RTOs. Tram services are now limited to only two routes but operations are irregular, experts say. The number of new vehicles in Bengal has consistently increased since 2021, when it was 9.5 lakh, indicating a sharp post-pandemic recovery. In 2024, there were 11,84,939 vehicles registered in the state, resulting in an 18.2% increase over 2023, transport officials said. The statistics demonstrate economic vitality and increased mobility, but necessitate immediate attention to sustainable urban development, enhanced public transport systems and improved infrastructure coordination to ensure both growth and liveability, said Bhargav Maitra, a traffic and transport expert from IIT Kharagpur.
