Trains rush 2-wheelers to meet festive demand in Ahmedabad

Dussehra being auspicious for taking delivery of vehicles purchased earlier, the demand for vehicles in Ahmedabad has shot up in the run-up to Vijay Dashmi which falls on Sunday.

But what has taken the city's vehicle market by surprise is the unusually high demand for two-wheelers. In fact, the demand for scooters and motorbikes is so high that the two-wheelers are being sent to the city by train so that more vehicles can be delivered to the city at one go.

Automobile dealers report a steep rise in enquiries this Dussehra but they say that the demand for two-wheelers is much higher compared to the enquiries for four-wheelers. 

Showrooms are overflowing with customers and, according to dealers, there has been a marked increase in bookings during Navratri. The rush for bookings as well as for deliveries has increased with the approach of Dussehra.

"To meet the high demand for two-wheelers this year,we have sought delivery by train as trains can bring in around 3,000 units at one time," said Jayesh Pandit, CEO at Manan Bajaj. "In contrast, a truck can bring in only 55 units per trip".  

Pandit said he expected his showroom to deliver around 1,500 two-wheelers on Dussehra day. The sales are going to double this year, he added. Manish Khatav, regional manager (sales), Bajaj Auto Ltd, confirmed the upbeat mood in the two-wheeler market.

"Our sales have almost doubled this year as compared to last year, with Bajaj Discover accounting for almost 50% of the sales," Khatav said.

Another two-wheeler dealer, Kaushik Shah, who is managing partner at Universal Honda, said he expected to deliver around 200 vehicles this Dussehra. "Overall, there has been a 20% increase in vehicle sales," he said. "But the bike segment alone has witnessed a rise of 50% in sales."

The four-wheeler market has also been doing well, though it is the premium cars market that seems to have benefited the most from the demand surge.