Number of vehicles growing faster than population

The number of vehicles on the roads of the UAE is growing faster than the population, says a new study.

The study expects the number of vehicles in the country to rise to 1,387,000 by 2010 and escalate to 3,250,000 by 2025.

The demand for new vehicles is likely to increase by 20 per cent a year, reaching a massive 650,000 by 2025.

The study reveals that the number of vehicles last year in Abu Dhabi was 277,000, comprising 41 per cent of the total in the UAE.

This was followed by 256,000 vehicles in Dubai (38 per cent) Sharjah (10.8 per cent) Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah (3.5 per cent) Ajman (2.3 per cent) and Umm Al Quwain (0.8 per cent).

The total registered at the different traffic departments jumped from 444,000 in 2000 to 673,000 in 2001, at an annual increase of 8.7 per cent.