THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sale of used vehicles has increased since the lockdown as withdrawal of public transport system in many locations and safety concerns have forced many to own vehicles. While the sale of new vehicles continues to reflect the downward trend in economy, it is the used vehicle sector that catered to the demands of people making their commuting affordable.“The market was dull before Covid-19. But there is a spike in demand in low value category,” said state president of Used Vehicle Dealers and Brokers Association (VDBA) Kaja Hussain. According to him, cars below I1 lakh and two-wheelers below I25,000 have great demand when compared to more expensive vehicles. He said women-friendly scooter was the most sold vehicle during the period.
The association has around 4,000 members in the state and the organisation does not allow its members to sell vehicles without valid documents. But used vehicle business is still considered an unorganised sector. “There is good demand for cheaper bikes that come below I5000. There are takers even if the validity of documents had long expired or does not exist,” said a vehicle broker. The relaxation offered by the Central government to extend validity of fitness, permits, licences, registration among other motor vehicle documents till December 31, 2021 has emboldened many to take the vehicles without proper documents.
The Motor Vehicles Department has relaxed enforcement activities in view of the pandemic situation.
“We may have focussed our attention to more grievous traffic offenses. But we have noticed that there are many people driving without a valid licence,” said K Bijumon, RTO (Enforcement), Thiruvananthapuram. But he warned that the driver will have to pay dearly if he or she is involved in a motor accident while driving without a valid licence. However taking a licence afresh would be a daunting task. Though the government had given consent to restart driving tests from September 14, priority is given to clear the backlog. There is a backlog of over 7 lakh test applications that reached various regional transport offices before lockdown.