Kolkata: The city witnessed a significant surge in vehicle registrations in April 2025, with Kolkata's four primary regional transport offices (RTOs) — PVD (Beltala), Salt Lake, Kasba, and Behala — collectively recording 9,160 new vehicles.This marks an 11% increase from April 2024 and a 40% rise compared to April 2023, underscoring a growing preference for personal mobility among residents. While this may be hailed as an economic milestone, it brings with it significant challenges, notably road space saturation, increased congestion, and heightened pollution levels.The trend isn't isolated to April, however. In March 2025, the city added 8,188 vehicles to its fleet, reflecting a consistent upward trajectory in vehicle ownership. The city's public transport system, once a reliable mode of commuting, is now grappling with the repercussions of this vehicular boom. Bus operators, in particular, are feeling the strain. An operator of bus route 230, which runs between Kamarhati and Alipore zoo, said, "The trip time has now doubled, making it more difficult to make two round trips a day, causing us further loss." Just five years ago, the same bus completed three and a half round trips daily.A breakdown of April 2025 registrations revealed PVD (Beltala) leading with 3,557 vehicles, a 13% year-on-year increase. Salt Lake followed with 2,372 registrations, up 9% from the previous year. Kasba saw a modest 1% rise to 1,879 vehicles while Behala experienced a notable 25% surge, registering 1,352 vehicles."The majority of the city's roads have reached saturation. With limited road space, we need a robust public transport system, prohibitive parking fees, and bicycle lanes. But we're moving in the opposite direction," said Dipankar Sinha, former director general of town planning at Kolkata Municipal Corporation. "We're weakening public transport, forcing even the poor to buy motorcycles and the rich to multiply their personalised vehicles.Aren't we moving the Bengaluru way?"The decline in public transport services, including buses and trams, that has compelled many residents to opt for personal vehicles, has exacerbated traffic congestion and pollution. This shift raises concerns about urban planning and the sustainability of Kolkata's transportation infrastructure. As Kolkata continues to grapple with the challenges of urban mobility, the emphasis on enhancing public transportation and implementing sustainable solutions becomes crucial to accommodate the city's growing transportation demands, said a transport officer.