Thane city has a population of 22 lakh but the vehicle population has increased to more than 23 lakh, according to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) records.
This means there is at least one vehicle per person in the city.
With hardly any strong internal public transport system in Thane city, most use private vehicles, adding to the city traffic.
The 23 lakh vehicles include 1.34 lakh two-wheelers. Every year, more than 60,000 two-wheelers are added to the overall vehicle population of the city.
In the last five years, the number of two-wheelers has increased by three lakh in Thane. Thane has a huge migrant population and as it is well connected with Mumbai and other places in MMR, there are many who prefer to stay in Thane for an easy commute to their workplaces.
“Overall if we see, there are homes where parking facilities are not available. Despite this, every person in the house has one vehicle each or more. But if we compare it with those families who do not own any vehicle at all, we can say that the vehicle population is equivalent to the city’s population. The city does not have enough roads for such a huge vehicle population,” said Balasaheb Patil, DCP, Traffic.
From among the overall 23 lakh vehicles, around 15 lakh are registered within Thane RTO. Among these, 1.07 lakh were registered in 2019. However, due to the pandemic, only 71,098 vehicles were registered in 2020. This is a 33% decline from the previous year. But, in 2021, Thane was among the top three RTOs in the State to register 82,460 vehicles and earn revenue of ₹483Cr.
Experts suggested increased public transport modes to reduce the vehicle population. Pankaj Joshi, principal director, Urban Center, Mumbai, said; “Only a ring route public transport service can ease the vehicle population on the roads. Another aspect is to make increased provisions for shuttle services to the railway station or toll nakas in Thane, these shuttle services should be initiated by existing and emerging townships across Thane city. Increased frequency of these services, especially during peak hours, will help reduce the ever-increasing vehicle population.”
In a developing city like Thane, with the increase in vehicle population, the pollution will also be impacted drastically. “During the lockdown, parts of Airoli could be clearly seen from some parts of Thane. With no vehicles outside, the air quality had improved drastically. With all the vehicles back on the road, these views are not possible. This in itself shows the increased presence of suspended particles in the air. This will not only cause global warming but also have an impact on every individual’s health as well. Honking also gives rise to noise pollution,” said Sangita Joshi, co-ordinator, Enviro Vigil.
Meanwhile, the Thane civic body is working towards improving the roads and public transport systems internally. Vipin Sharma, Thane Municipal Corporation commissioner, said, “We are working towards increasing the fleet of buses within the Thane Municipal Transport and are also introducing electric buses. Unlike other cities, most people in Thane travel outside for work and hence many prefer private vehicles for the same despite having buses and trains available. Hence, we are working towards interlinking the major roads of the city and providing wider roads where required. The internal Metro that will connect with Metro 4 and 5 as well is also being worked out.”