Twitter
Advertisement

Petrol, CNG sales soar with craze for personal vehicles

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Petrol and compressed natural gas (CNG) are fuelling the city's insatiable need for the ultimate middle-class status symbol: a car of one's own. Data procured through the Right to Information act show that Mumbaikars and those in satellite cities of Thane and Navi Mumbai bought increasing volumes of petrol and CNG, even as diesel sales fluctuated in the past few years. Between the years 2010-11 and 2013-14 petrol and CNG sales soared by 35% and 614% respectively. This increase was notwithstanding the automotive industry slowdown in recent years, showing that Mumbaikars had enough money to get new wheels and keep them in motion.

This data also makes it evident that there is an urgent need to upgrade mass rapid transport systems in Mumbai or else the streets will get more and more clogged with private cars.

The reply by the sales tax department to an RTI query raised by transport analyst Ashok Datar said that in the last four financial years, the areas of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai burnt at least 68.88 lakh kilolitres of fuel.

Sales of diesel swung wildly in these cities following a partial deregulation in diesel prices in the last couple of years.

In the fiscal year 2010-11, 8.39 lakh kilolitres of diesel were sold, the following year 5.85 lakh kilolitres went up in flames; 2012-13, again saw an increase in diesel sales to 9.40 lakh kilolitres, but in 2013-14 8.91 lakh kilolitres were sold- a 5% dip. This data shows how price-sensitive the diesel vehicle-owner is.

It's a different story with petrol and CNG sales. As sales of private cars with petrol and CNG engines increased, so did the sales of these fuels. In 2010-11, 5.13 lakh kilolitres of petrol were sold in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai as against 6.95 lakh kilolitres in 2013-14, that is, a growth of 35% during these years.

But sales of CNG (data for Mumbai only) soared, by 614% from 46,000 metric tonnes in 2010-11 to 3.31 lakh metric tonnes in 2013-14. Data for Navi Mumbai and Thane were not available.

In a conference held last week on sustainable urban development and mobility, UPS Madan, metropolitan commissioner with the Mumbai metropolitan region development authority said, "A few years ago, 80% of the people in Mumbai travelled using public transport and the balance in other modes or private vehicles, but now those opting for public transport are down to 75%."

The data show that rising prices of petrol and CNG are no deterrent to aspirational Mumbaikars who want to own cars of their own.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement