Car registrations edge up

The number of registered cars is on the rise, new figures show.Federal statistics agency Statistik Austria announced today (Mon) that 35,246 cars were registered last month. The body said this figure meant a 5.3 per cent year on year rise.It added that, with 51,460, there were 1.5 per cent more registrations between January and September of this year compared to the first nine months of 2009.The number of lorry registrations rose by 6.5 per cent year on year in the first three quarters of 2010, according to Statistik Austria.Around 4.4 million cars were registered in Austria last year, up by around two per cent compared to 2008 figures.Federal police announced last week that 1,915 cars were stolen in Austria during the first nine months of this year, adding that this figure meant a 51.9 per cent year on year drop.The interior ministry, which is responsible for the organisation of the federal police, set up SoKo KfZ, a special car theft investigation team, in October 2009.