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. [break]
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.
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