According to official data from the state transport department, 8,035 new vehicles were registered across the Public Vehicles Department (PVD), Kasba, Salt Lake and Behala RTOs in May this year.
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May 2025 has logged the highest year-on-year monthly car registrations for the fifth straight month in Kolkata, triggering alarm among traffic planners and environmentalists about the cost of this sustained vehicular boom.
Besides economic recovery following the pandemic, lifestyle changes and rapid urbanisation, a major reason for the increasing dependence on personal vehicles is the steady decline of the public transport system — particularly buses and trams — in Kolkata, say experts.
“Unless urgent steps are taken to revive and strengthen essential and affordable modes of commuting, the trend is likely to persist. If left unchecked, the city risks heading down the same path as Bengaluru, where traffic snarls have been crippling urban mobility and quality of life,” said Dipankar Sinha, former DG, KMC’s town planning department.
There are concerns about an obvious increase in emissions, too. “No matter how efficient emission standards become, more vehicles inevitably lead to more pollution. Traffic congestion only worsens the problem by increasing emission from idling vehicles,” said Abhijit Chatterjee of Bose Institute.
Sales in the city bucked the all-India trend, where passenger car sales have continued to slide for the second consecutive month. Sales in May 2025 declined 13.6per cent from April — from 3,49,939 cars to 3,02,214 cars. Numbers were 3.1per cent lower than May 2024, when 3,11,908 cars were sold. “Traditionally, the first quarter is a slow growth month for the industry. The India-Pakistan conflict in May affected markets in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, contributing to the slowdown. But nationally, the growth rate was tapering for the last six months,” said Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations CEO Saharsh Damani.
According to official data from the state transport department, 8,035 new vehicles were registered across the Public Vehicles Department (PVD), Kasba, Salt Lake and Behala RTOs in May this year. While May 2024 saw 7,560 registrations, 7,879 vehicles were registered in May 2023, highlighting a steady upward trend in vehicle ownership. Most of these registrations were of personal vehicles, with two-wheelers accounting for nearly 65per cent , followed by cars (LMVs) that marked 28.5per cent .
“With most arterial roads already exceeding their capacity, congestion has become the norm in Kolkata, often persisting well beyond traditional peak hours. Urban transport planners have called for urgent interventions, including improved public transport options and strict parking regulations, to address the mounting pressure on city roads,” said AK Das, former head, West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.