Team-BHP > The Indian Car Scene


Reply
  Search this Thread
2,998 views
Old 15th January 2009, 07:32   #1
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 55
Thanked: 0 Times
Sigh! Owning a car could get more expensive

Here comes another damper for new car buyers. Additional sales tax on petrol, increase in registration fee on four-wheelers and imposing congestion and green tax are some of the factors that are being considered, which will make buying a car even more expensive.

Read this

Last edited by freddie : 15th January 2009 at 07:43. Reason: Incomplete data posted earlier
freddie is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 10:15   #2
BHPian
 
CtrlAltDel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: HyderaGr8
Posts: 500
Thanked: 24 Times

thats good news, provided they improve public transport first.
CtrlAltDel is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 10:37   #3
BHPian
 
kbalii's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chennai
Posts: 100
Thanked: 25 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by freddie View Post
Here comes another damper for new car buyers. Additional sales tax on petrol, increase in registration fee on four-wheelers and imposing congestion and green tax are some of the factors that are being considered, which will make buying a car even more expensive.

Read this
Yeah freddie, you are right all that is being considered, but them making it to reality at the given time is very thin.
kbalii is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 12:43   #4
GTO
Team-BHP Support
 
GTO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bombay
Posts: 70,335
Thanked: 298,734 Times

I doubt this will go through. Why?

1. Automotive lobbying! The industry is anyways gasping for survival, despite the phenomenal investments made by some players. The market has shrunk 20 - 25% in the last 3 months!

2. We start with a high taxation rate in the first place. Any more will prove to be a massive deterrent. AND

3. How many Indian cities can boast of efficient / convenient public transportation systems?

Thumbs down.
GTO is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 15:30   #5
BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 894
Thanked: 68 Times

I read this news today morning and was totally shocked with the recommendations of the govt. The public transportation system in one of the best places - Mumbai & Navi Mumbai is so horrible -and its no brainer to imagine plight of other parts of the country. This is an experience I got yesterday afternoon when I tried to use it( Public transports) almost after 4-5 years as I had to travel to Thane from Navi Mumbai to take delivery of my new car and last month I had taken a trip to Bihar and found a lot of things common.

Yesterday my daughter and myself had a deal that we will travel by bus to the dealer to pick up our new car. As excited from home started with my 10 y.o. daughter at 2:30 PM - to ST bus stand - 2 kms - walked as no autorickshaw/ bus available.Reached ST stand- around 3 PM. Waited at ST ( state transport) stop for almost 20 minutes and no bus. It was around 3:20PM. Then a call centre cabbie hailed us - reached Chhedanagar Mankhurd - it was close to 3:50 PM. till almost 4:30 kept waiting for a bus to Thane - all buses only till borivli, andheri , kanjur marg or mulund- but none to Thane and finally, the patience got over. Surprisingly, very few taxis were seen- only autorickshaws. I wanted to take a bus coz its definitely cheaper and faster than autos. Anyway, standing at the bus stop in open, where pipeline work in progress and enough smell and dust- itself was an experience and on top of that everytime a bus would come - it would raise a storm of dust. Finally, we decided perhaps God doesnt want me to sit in a bus- we hailed a taxi - the driver said - he could go only till Airoli bridge. It was better than standing at the bus stop. From Airoli junction took and auto- who said they are not permitted to go beyond mulund check naka so another rick from there to Cadbury junction. It was 5:15 pm. total time almost 2hrs 45 minutes.

It may be an isolated case, it may not actually be so bad always, may be the timings - off peak hours had something to do with this etc. - could be some of the justifications in favour of encouraging public transport system but nothing beats the convenience and certainty of taking my own vehicle unless I have plenty of time to kill and no work to do and no deadlines to meet.

And yes last month I had been to Bihar and travelled in a bus there and yesterday's Mumbai experience was equally humbling. Anyway, we still picked up our new car, came home back - happily- in 50 minutes flat. Will happily take public transport - if it can offer a bit less convenience even at the same cost ( Fuel cost for the car ) but ensuring that I get a seat and can at least hope to reach in time.

Most of us commute to our offices from homes - people from Mumbai ( Dadar- Colaba) travel to offices in BKC, MIDC, Andheri, Vashi , JNPT, Uran etc. and criss cross. I dont think anyone enjoys commuting and driving unless on a pleasure trip. If anyone feels so environment conscious or philanthropic or has any doubts - specially those politicians moving around with Z security in their fleets of bullet proof vehicles, , or those bureaucrats in their suitably badged cars with beacon lights, - tell them to try commuting between Kurla and dadar in a local train in the rush hours( live on harbor line and commute to work on western line or vice versa) and still if they feel that they should discourage private vehicle- I guess its time to remember our solidarity after 26/11 tell those big mouths to shut up.

No one minds saving money by there being no need to pay 100% import duty, exhorbitant road tax, VAT , toll , skyhigh fuel and maintenance cost but yes , if the plight of public transportation remains as it is, the pain of paying money ( if I can afford) is far less than the ordeal that I have to go through daily in a public transport- if I cant afford.
shatrughna is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 16:00   #6
Senior - BHPian
 
amtak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Mumbai - The city of Sea Link!!!
Posts: 2,911
Thanked: 898 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by shatrughna View Post

Yesterday my daughter and myself had a deal that we will travel by bus to the dealer to pick up our new car. As excited from home started with my 10 y.o. daughter at 2:30 PM - to ST bus stand - 2 kms - walked as no autorickshaw/ bus available.Reached ST stand- around 3 PM. Waited at ST ( state transport) stop for almost 20 minutes and no bus. It was around 3:20PM. Then a call centre cabbie hailed us - reached Chhedanagar Mankhurd - it was close to 3:50 PM. till almost 4:30 kept waiting for a bus to Thane - all buses only till borivli, andheri , kanjur marg or mulund- but none to Thane and finally, the patience got over. Surprisingly, very few taxis were seen- only autorickshaws. I wanted to take a bus coz its definitely cheaper and faster than autos. Anyway, standing at the bus stop in open, where pipeline work in progress and enough smell and dust- itself was an experience and on top of that everytime a bus would come - it would raise a storm of dust. Finally, we decided perhaps God doesnt want me to sit in a bus- we hailed a taxi - the driver said - he could go only till Airoli bridge. It was better than standing at the bus stop. From Airoli junction took and auto- who said they are not permitted to go beyond mulund check naka so another rick from there to Cadbury junction. It was 5:15 pm. total time almost 2hrs 45 minutes.

My brother does that daily. Mira Road - Thane - Vashi - Mhape. No other options. The rickshaws are allowed to travel and cross over to other district limits as per a permit rule announced last Feb 08. However, they need to apply for some permit to do that and as per the RTO records some 50 odds ricks had only applied for this. (I had read this in Mumbai mirror a couple of weeks ago).
amtak is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 16:15   #7
Senior - BHPian
 
anujmishra's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,290
Thanked: 492 Times

There are two mutually exclusive threads going on in Team-BHP

First is this one

and another is

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...el-rs-3-a.html

also car sales have come down and the news coming for imposing new tax.

Government only try to punish middle, upper middle section of society. If they increase few thousands it will surely hit mostly to middle of upper middle people. If will not have any affect on high class who usually keep 10 vehicles at his home and use his cars for all purposes whether throwing garbage in local dustbin or buying vegetables/groceries from local market.

Opposing by few people does not deter government. It needs a real Mamta Banerjee type leader who can ask government to cancel it at any cost. (I am not portraying Mamta but from Mamta's point of view, it is her victory at Singur, whatever be the cost). Who will be the next Mamta ?

Last edited by anujmishra : 15th January 2009 at 16:16.
anujmishra is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 16:33   #8
BHPian
 
watashi75's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 518
Thanked: 12 Times

I do not see anything wrong. This is inevitable. Car ownership is bound to get expensive as resources (petrol, road, parking space etc) get scarce. You can already see this happening in countries like Japan, Korea and China.

The price of anything should reflect the cost. People would hardly spare a thought on conservation if they get things at subsidized prices.
watashi75 is offline  
Old 15th January 2009, 17:39   #9
BHPian
 
kbalii's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chennai
Posts: 100
Thanked: 25 Times

I think we should read news as it is and then use our just mind to understand if such things that are being CONSIDERED would ever come into place given the turbulent times that are on.

Well the news piece states that they are being considered and thats all about it. At one end there is a reduction of 4% and then an increase in registration? All these would be counter productive to each other. This cannot be implemented considering the financial turbulence and the Stimulus package that the govt has announced.

I would still stick that this maturing from 'consideration' to implementation is still very thin. The automobile manufacturers would be against this in the first place.

The paper reports news and thats it. In my perspective chances of this being enforced is very thin.
kbalii is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks