Auto-Rickshaw and Taxi Registrations Surge In Pune, 13,500 autos and 9,500 cabs registered in 2023-24

PUNE: Despite ongoing protests and demands from drivers’ unions to halt new registrations of auto-rickshaws and taxis, data from the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) reveals a significant surge in vehicle additions, particularly auto-rickshaws, in the fiscal year 2023–24.

The latest RTO data showcases a total of 1,03,000 auto-rickshaws and 45,000 cabs currently operational in the city. Surprisingly, over 13,000 new auto-rickshaws and more than 9,500 new taxis have been added to the roads in the said fiscal year.

Compared with the previous fiscal, the increase is substantial. In FY 2022–23, there were 9,054 auto-rickshaws registered, which surged to 13,154 in FY 2023–24. Similarly, the number of registered cabs increased from 3,945 to 9,746, more than doubling in just one year.

This surge in registrations comes despite continuous demands from drivers’ unions to halt new registrations, citing concerns about traffic congestion and livelihoods. The unions have been pressing the authorities for years, submitting various letters from RTO to the transport commissioner, but to no avail.

The roots of the issue date back to June 17, 2017, when the state Home Department issued a circular discontinuing restrictions imposed on the issuance of fresh permits by the previous government in 1997. Since then, the number of auto-rickshaws has more than doubled from around 46,000 to the current 1,03,000.