711,464 two-wheelers registered in five years

More than 700,000 two-wheelers were registered in the country over the past five years.According to the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), 84 percent or, 711,464 units, of 846,564 vehicles registered during the period were two-wheelers. In fiscal year 2008/09, 83,334 two-wheelers were registered in different parts of the country. The number more than doubled to 175,381 in 2012/13. The share of two-wheelers in total vehicles registered over the past five fiscal years hovers over 80 percent. In 2008/09, 81 percent of the vehicles registered in the country were two-wheelers. Similarly, share of two-wheelers in total vehicle registration stood at 83 percent in 2009/10, 84 percent in 2010/11, 85 percent in 2011/12 and 84 percent in 2012/13. Of the 711,464 two-wheelers registered in the country over the past five years, 37 percent, or 266,591 units, were registered in Bagmati zone alone. Average annual registration of two-wheelers in Bagmati zone stood well over over 50,000 units over the past five years.According to DoTM, a total of 1,557,478 vehicles have been registered in Nepal so far. Of them, 77 percent, or 1,207,261, are two-wheelers. Registration of motorbikes till 1989/90 stood at mere 34,576 units. Entrepreneurs say affordability and recognition of two-wheelers as a basic need are the two factors contributing to growth in registration of two-wheelers in recent years. “As Nepal´s public transport system is very poor, two-wheelers are fast becoming a basic necessity of people,” Alok Josee, deputy general manager at AIT - the authorized distributor of TVS motorbikes for Nepal, said. Josee further said the availability of easy financing and exchange offers in two-wheelers was the other reason behind growing popularity of two-wheelers in Nepal. Suraj Manandhar, business head of MAW Enterprises - the authorized distributor of Yamaha in Nepal, echoed Josee. “Two-wheelers are becoming popular in Nepal because they are affordable,” added Manandhar.