Number of newly registered vehicles drops sharply in April

BANGKOK: -- Adversely affected by surging oil prices and political uncertainties, a total number of newly registered vehicles in Thailand in April dropped sharply from the same month of last year, according to the Department of Land Transport.

Piyapan Champasut, the department’s director-general, revealed on Wednesday that the number of newly registered vehicles in April totaled 187,675 units.

Of this, 185,130 units were sedans, vans and motorcycles, while 2,545 units were vehicles for commercial purposes (trucks).

By comparison with the same month of last year, the number of sedans totaled 21,903 units, up 2.19 per cent, that of vans 994 units, up 33.07 per cent, that of pick-ups 24,615, up 11.01 per cent, that of motorcycles 137,618 units, down 1.91 per cent, that of buses 182 units, down 57.48 per cent and that of trucks 2,363 units, down 42.28 per cent.

It is noted that the number of vehicles for commercial purposes declined significantly because surging fuel prices and the political impasse affected investment by local entrepreneurs.

He said the number of newly registered vehicles in the first four months of this year (January-April) totaled 902,710 units.

Of this, 892,044 units were sedans, vans, pick-ups and motorcycles, while 10,666 units were vehicles for commercial purposes.

By comparison with the same period of last year, the number of sedans totaled 127,026 units, up 5.47 per cent, that of vans 4,653 units, up 4.019 per cent, that of pick-ups 126,516 units, up 14.92 per cent, that of motorcycles 633,849 units, up 7.09 per cent, that of buses 842 units, down 49.64 per cent, and that of trucks 9,824 units, down 40.13 per cent.

--TNA 2006-06-08

Excuse me if I'm wrong - but maybe less cars coming onto the road is a good thing.

Good thing it might be, but it's also a bad sign.

I can't make heads or tails out of their numbers. Sedans, vans, and motorcycles? What about pickups and SUVs? Why motorcycles are suddenly bundled with cars?