The number of motor vehicles registered in Region I reached 55,549 in the first quarter (Q1) of 2000, reflecting a 10.5 percent increase from what was recorded in Q1 1999 (50,271).

Of the total vehicles registered, majority were private vehicles (64.8 percent) while around thirty percent (34.0 percent) were for-hire. Motor/Tricycles made up more than one-half of the total motor vehicles registered while utility vehicles comprised around one-third. On the other hand, gasoline-fed vehicles, which have cheaper selling price and have a more affordable maintenance cost, represented 73.9 percent while diesel-fed ones accounted 26.1 percent of the total vehicles registered.

Some 50,644 motor vehicles registered for Q1 2000 were renewals, an increase of 4,882 from last year's figure of 45,762. Most of these vehicles were motor/tricycles (24,319). On the other hand, there were 4,905 new registrants, majority of which were motor/tricycles (4,241).