CYPRUS: Car sales up 12% in Jan-March, vans and bikes down

New and used car sales continued to rise in the first quarter of the year, following a trend seen from last year when consumers preferred to buy a car for cash and not owe any money to the banks.

The statistical service Cystat said that the total number of motor vehicle registrations increased by 12.3% to 5,840 in January-March, up from 5,201 vehicles in the same period of 2014.
Private saloon cars increased by 9.1% to 4,567 from 4,186 in January-March 2014. Of the total, 2,082 vehicles or 45.6% were new and 2,485 or 54.4% were used cars.
All other categories recorded decreases.
Goods conveyance vehicles were down by 7.4% to 386 in January-March, compared to 417 in January-March 2014.
Light goods vehicles (vans) dropped 3.8% to 330, from 343 in January-March 2014 and heavy goods vehicles (trucks, buses) fell 24.4% to 34 from 45 in January-March 2014.
Road tractors (units of trailers) decreased by 24.1% to 22 from 29 in January-March 2014.
Mopeds under 50cc dropped by 16.7% to 25 in January-March, compared to 30 in first quarter of 2014, while mechanised cycles (motor bikes over 50cc) decreased by 24.3 % to 286 in 2015, compared to 378 in January-March 2014.