New vehicle number hit 20 year high

January 1998

NEW vehicle registrations in Co. Louth hit a 20-year high, latest figures reveal.

A remarkable 3,638 (of which 2,948 are cars) are registered in 1997, beating the previous peak of 3,512 in 1978.

This is a 14.5% increase on the 1996 total of 3,088 (2,431 cars), which had been a dramatic rise (26%) on the 1995 total of 2,262.

The new figures are released by the Revenue Commissioners, who have been handling the registrations of vehicles since 1993, when they take over the task from the county council.

However, the statistics tell just part of the story as there are also 2,432 used vehicles (1,935 cars) which are first registered in the state in Co. Louth.

What it actually means is that between first time registrations of ‘new’ and ‘used’ vehicles, a total of 11,694 will have come on to Co. Louth’s roads for the first time in the past two years.

There are no figures available as to how many cars have been taken off ‘Wee County’ roads through the government’s ‘scrappage scheme’ which ended on 31 December.

In 1987, new registrations fall as low as 1,791, and although rallying, the number drops again to 1,665 in 1993.

That the figure should more than double in four years is phenomenal, and local garages say it shows the confidence people have in the strength of the economy, fuelled by better job prospects, low interest rates and attractive manufacturers’ deals.

The end of the ‘scrappage scheme’ also brings a flurry of sales activity during November and December.