Mauritius Reaches 710,605 Vehicles: Traffic Congestion Concerns Grow

As we stand on the brink of 2025, the roads of Mauritius find themselves under ever-mounting pressure, choked by a relentless surge in the number of vehicles. This spiralling congestion not only frustrates commuters but also exacts a significant toll on the nation’s economy.

By the close of December 2024, the island boasted a staggering 710,605 vehicles, of which 24,717 were newly registered—statistics starkly revealed by Statistics Mauritius in their report dated 27 March 2024.

Astonishingly, this marks a 62.4% increase in the purchase of new vehicles compared to previous periods.

Within the total, 39,585 vehicles registered included 11,198 second-hand imports (28.3%) and 3,670 re-registered vehicles (9.3%).

Between December 2023 and December 2024, the vehicle count surged by 5.1%, equating to a net addition of 34,164 vehicles compared to the 676,441 tallied at the end of 2023—despite 5,421 vehicles being withdrawn from circulation during this timeframe.

At the end of 2024, the landscape of the island’s transport comprises a staggering 55.9% of cars, double-cab pickups, and mixed-use vehicles, totalling 397,266 units.

In stark contrast, motorcycles and autocycles make up 35.1%, with 249,451 vehicles.

The remaining 9% included passenger vans (31,595), trucks and heavy goods vehicles (19,728), buses (3,308), and various other types (9,257).

The rise in cars, pickups, and mixed vehicles saw a notable jump of 6.8%, with the total reaching 397,266 by December 2024, compared to 371,866 the previous year—a clear surge driven by the registration of 28,336 such vehicles.

However, this was somewhat tempered by the removal of 2,936 vehicles from the roads.

A closer examination reveals that 23.9% of these vehicles are less than five years old, while 21.5% range between five and nine years, and a prominent 54.6% have seen over a decade of service.

Additionally, the island counted 3,308 buses, of which 80 new buses joined the fleet in 2024, whilst two were imported second-hand and one got re-registered, resulting in a net gain of 83 buses.

There is a palpable enthusiasm for motorcycles and mopeds, with a rise of 6,843 vehicles, representing a 2.8% increase from the previous year—culminating in a total of 249,451 motorcycles and mopeds by December 2024, compared to 242,608 at the end of 2023.

Examining the broader evolution of the Mauritian automotive landscape since 2015, we find that the number of cars has more than doubled—from 188,299 in 2015 to 335,398 in 2024.

Notably, this includes 13,717 new cars and 10,533 second-hand vehicles. Motorcycles have also soared from 77,603 in 2015 to 122,279 in 2024, underscoring a significant trend.

However, the increase in mopeds has not been as steep, growing from 11,085 in 2015 to a total of 127,172 in 2024.

As Mauritius grapples with escalating vehicle numbers, action would be needed to tackle the imminent traffic and infrastructure challenges ahead.

Source: l’Express