MUMBAI: The light motor vehicle ( LMV ) population here has crossed a million, statistics in the latest state economic survey showed. It is a 9.3% increase over the previous year and nearly 90% of them are private cars owned by Mumbaikars. Data for LMVs, which includes private cars, jeeps and cabs, was till January 2017, the survey report stated.The two-wheeler population in the city has risen by 8.4%, from 15.9 lakh bikes and scooters in 2015-16 to 17.2 lakh till date. The total vehicle population in Mumbai has touched the three million mark.The survey report, tabled in the state assembly last Friday, indicates that despite the increase in vehicles , fatalities and injuries in road accidents were declining in the past two years in Mumbai and the rest of the state. This, transport experts said, was mainly due to road safety and driver awareness programmes undertaken by government departments, traffic police and RTOs across districts.The city had 9.39 lakh LMVs in 2015-16 and this rose to 10.27 lakh in the next fiscal year. The report stated, “The total motor vehicles on roads in the state is 2.9 crore, which is an 8% increase over the previous year. Mumbai has 10% of the vehicule population in the state,” it stated. But the city’s road length has not increased beyond 2,000 km.Transport department statistics showed that Mumbai’s vehicle density 1,417 per km was the highest across 34 cities and districts in the state. In fact, the second most dense city in terms of vehicle was Nagpur, but it was less than one-third of Mumbai’s, at 359 vehicles per km. It was followed by Thane, whose density was 327, followed by Pune with 260.Transport experts said there was very little scope for Mumbai’s road length to be increased, and efforts were being made by the government to construct a coastal road and some flyovers. A V Shenoy of Mumbai Transport Forum said, “The flyovers are like a bypass which will only survive for few years. Mumbai cannot have any more “supply” of new roads, which is why “demand” management is the only solution, which is controlling the number of cars, bikes, SUVs, buses and heavy vehicles on the roads.”Jagdeep Desai from Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai’s Suburbs said, “We have minimum road space and only one-third is utilised for movement of cars and other vehicles. Two-third of the roads are unfortunately being used at many places for parking vehicles, illegal encroachments or there is digging/bad road conditions. Proper management of available road space is required.”As for road safety, the survey report stated, “Every year, plays and lectures based on road safety are organised in the state. The number of accidents per 10,000 vehicles in Maharashtra in 2016 was 14.” The number of accidents, persons killed and injured in the state and city had reduced as per the statistics. A senior transport official said, “This is mainly due to road safety programmes, identification of black (accident-prone) spots by our department and accident prevention measures such as police/RTO drives, installing speed-breakers, signage and creating awareness among drivers when issuing licences.”Accidental deaths in Mumbai reduced from 529 in 2014 to 510 last year, while the number of injured had reduced from 4,037 in 2015 to 3,532 last year. In the state, deaths had come down from 13,212 in 2015 to 12,883 last year.