Some cities have lifted the ban on motorcycles: it is conducive to consumption and can also reduce the cost of social travel

Southern Weekly

2024-05-24 23:00Posted on the official account of Guangdong Southern Weekly

Recently, Li Daokui, a professor at Tsinghua University, said at the 2024 China Motorcycle Industry Summit Forum that the motorcycle industry has great potential in the current context of promoting consumption, and should consider lifting the ban and restriction policy in some cities to meet consumer demand and stimulate the vitality of the industry.

At present, the automotive industry has become an important driving force for China's economic growth, while the development of the motorcycle industry, as a younger brother, has been limited. At the 2020 National People's Congress and the National People's Congress, Li Shufu, deputy to the National People's Congress and chairman of Geely Holding Group, suggested that the pilot should open the "ban and restriction on motorcycles", treat urban motorcycle driving scientifically, and promote the transformation and upgrading of the motorcycle industry. Zuo Zongshen, a former member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairman of Zongshen Group, a well-known motorcycle company, has also insisted on proposing to lift the ban on motorcycles at the two sessions for many years. But until now, restrictions on motorcycles have remained very severe. China's motorcycle industry is basically supported by exports.

There are two main levels of restrictions on motorcycles.

First, at the national level, a strict scrapping policy is implemented for motorcycles. According to the "Regulations on Compulsory Scrapping Standards for Motor Vehicles" issued by the Ministry of Commerce in 2013, the service life of three-wheeled motorcycles is 12 years, and that of other motorcycles is 13 years. This means that if you spend 13,000 yuan to buy a two-wheeled motorcycle, it can only be used for 13 years at most, and the annual depreciation cost will reach 1,000 yuan. This artificially increases the cost of using motorcycles.

The above-mentioned motor vehicle scrapping standards have canceled the service life restrictions for small and micro non-operating passenger vehicles and large non-operating cars, covering the vast majority of private cars, and private cars can continue to drive on the road as long as they pass regular inspections, and only "guide scrapping" for mileage of more than 600,000 kilometers.

From a technical point of view, the weight of the motorcycle is small, the engine displacement is small, and the wear and tear of operation are correspondingly small. Moreover, the use of motorcycles generally does not run long distances. Family cars generally travel 20,000 kilometers a year, motorcycles are far below this figure, a motorcycle is 13 years for 13 years for 13 people, some people ride 50,000 kilometers, some people ride less. The scrapping policy for motorcycles should be more lenient than for family cars, but the opposite is true. Many users have only traveled tens of thousands of kilometers after the 13-year scrapping period. It is a pity that such a motorcycle is scrapped and dismantled.

At the aforementioned forum, Li Daokui said that if motorcycles have been forcibly scrapped for 13 years, it is equivalent to increasing the cost of buying cars for consumers. As soon as the cost increases, consumers will feel that it is not cost-effective, and the corresponding consumption will inevitably decline, which is not conducive to the development of the industry.

It is precisely because of the great irrationality of the regulations on the scrapping of motorcycles that society, industry, and users have been calling for changes in this regulation. After all, mandating the scrapping of things that can still be produced normally will only increase the cost of products, lead to higher prices, lower demand, and drag down economic development.

Another reason for restricting the development of the motorcycle industry is the ban on motorcycles introduced by various cities.

Motorcycles used to be an important means of transportation for Chinese. However, at present, there are nearly 200 cities in the country that prohibit and restrict motorcycles, and motorcycles can only be carried out unhindered in rural areas. However, with the hollowing out of the countryside, the demand for motorcycles in the countryside has shrunk severely. After all, it is mainly young people who play motorcycles.

There are a number of reasons why motorcycles are banned in cities. In some cities, the reason is to alleviate traffic congestion and ensure traffic safety. But now, the reason for the traffic jam is that there are too many cars. If the restrictions on motorcycles are lifted and motorcycles are allowed to share part of the travel demand, the dependence on cars can be reduced, and traffic congestion can be reduced. After all, motorcycles require less road space and are more agile than cars. An example of this is the significant easing of road congestion in Xi'an after the lifting of motorcycle restrictions.

In terms of traffic safety, it is true that some motorcyclists do not obey the traffic rules and go on a rampage on the road, resulting in repeated traffic accidents. But everything is risky and should not be forbidden. Electric vehicles may spontaneously combust, but they are not banned. When a category appears in the market, it has gone through a long evolution. In the entire use ecology, it must play an important role in order to become a mature product. Once banned, there is a chain reaction.

For ordinary people, motorcycles are cheap and high-quality commuting tools, with low pollution, small land occupation and high traffic efficiency. Usually, electric bicycles cover the travel needs of 10-25 kilometers per hour and 5-10 kilometers of travel distance; Motorcycles cover travel needs with a speed of 25-40 kilometers per hour and a travel distance of 10-20 kilometers; On motorcycles, faster speeds and longer distances are done by motor vehicles such as cars.

In addition, since there are no motorcycles, in order to cover the speed and travel distance of motorcycles, the market demand for the power and battery capacity of electric bicycles has increased. Due to the restrictions of the national standard, there are illegal modifications in the market. Larger-capacity batteries, illegally modified, and led to new safety hazards. If some e-bikes are replaced by small-displacement motorcycles, the fire hazard caused by charging will be reduced. From this point of view, there is part of the reason behind the fire tragedy caused by charging in the community in recent years, which is part of the ban on motorcycles. In addition, due to the low displacement, low fuel consumption and small size of motorcycles, they will become a new choice for many people, which will reduce the pressure of road traffic.

In recent years, with the transformation of the general environment, more and more cities have begun to lift the ban on motorcycles. In 2017, Xi'an quietly lifted the ban on motorcycles, becoming the first city in the country to lift the ban on motorcycles. In addition, Langfang, Jinan, Qingdao and other cities have also lifted the ban on motorcycles. The lifting of the ban on motorcycles can meet the public's commuting needs, which is not only conducive to consumption, but also reduces the cost of social travel. The lifting of restrictions and bans on motorcycles will greatly release the potential of motorcycle consumption and promote the development of the industry.

Of course, because electric bicycles also have a certain substitution role for motorcycles, even if the restrictions on motorcycles are completely lifted, it may be difficult for the motorcycle industry to return to its peak state, but this is a problem of market competition. Cars, motorcycles, and e-bikes can find their niche in the competition.

• (This article is the author's personal opinion and does not represent the position of this newspaper)

Liu Yuanju

Editor-in-charge: Xin Provincial Chronicles