Figures obtained from RTO sources indicate that while the annual growth in the two-wheeler population ranged between 50,000 and 66,000 from March 2006 to March 2011, that figure soared to nearly 90,000 scooters/bikes the next year and is slated to touch the one-lakh mark by March 2013.
"It has become very expensive to travel by autos these days," said Aniket Gupta, a resident of Ghodbunder Road in Thane. "In the past, it cost me just Rs 35 to reach the station. But now I have to pay nearly Rs 50, one-way. I have bought a gear-less scooter, which I drive to the station and park it there. I have saved more than Rs 1,500 a month," he said.
Vile Parle (East) resident Sonali Sathe said she preferred to use a Scooty to travel short distances. "It is difficult getting an auto if I have to go to a bank or to a friend's house. Also, I end up paying a lot of money travelling by autos. Two-wheelers are economical and easier to park."
Dinesh Joshi, who travels from Goregaon to Andheri, said he would rather ride a bike to office than commute by autos, buses or trains. "Also, I can office reach faster as bikes need less space on road and can go through traffic snarls,'' he said.
Activists, however, feel it could be a "dangerous trend" that might lead to road indiscipline and chaos on the streets. Said civic activist A V Shenoy, "Most bikers don't follow traffic rules or maintain proper lanes. Also, the risk of accidents is high."
Another activist, who did not wish to be named, said that auto drivers in the suburbs already indulge in rash driving and try to overtake every other vehicle, creating chaos on streets. "With two-wheelers on a large scale on the roads, it will be difficult for the bigger vehicles, especially public transport like buses, to ply," he said.
Transport expert Ashok Datar agreed that two-wheelers can be time- and cost-effective, but said the problem was road safety. He admitted that there has been a drastic rise in number of two-wheelers in last two years. "Now, scooters/bikes comprise 60% of the total vehicular population while cars comprise only 35% to 40 %. But they are advisable only in low-speed areas and for very short distances. On highways and busy arterial roads, driving a two-wheeler is inappropriate," he said.
RTO statistics showed that there were 7.93 lakh two-wheelers in Mumbai in 2006-07. This rose to 8.59 lakh, an increase of 66,000, in the next financial year, 2007-08. In 2009-09, the number of bikes and scooters rose to 9.18 lakh. The figure increased by 62,000 in 2010-11, when the total number of two-wheelers was 9.80 lakh. It was 10.44 lakh vehicles in 2010-11.
Following this, however, there was a steady growth, with the two-wheeler population increasing by nearly 90,000 to take the total population at 11.33 lakh in 2011-12. In the present financial year, the two-wheeler population has crossed 12 lakh and is expected to touch 12.33 lakh by March-end.
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