It’s one of Yangon’s biggest quirks: why no motorbikes?
When talk of lifting the ban is broached, some politicians are quick to link the transport to robberies, gangs and traffic accidents.
Urban legend has it that two teenagers provoked the ban, which was enacted in 2003, when they made a finger gun gesture to a Tatmadaw general before riding away.
But whatever the reason for the restriction, a growing movement wants it gone for good.
Ko Thet, 35, of activist group Yangon Bikers’ Revolution sent a petition of 8,000 signatures for the legalisation of motorbikes in Yangon on January 19 to the officers of the president, state counsellor and Yangon chief minister after campaigning outside City Hall on Sunday.
He said a similar petition was delivered to the regional government in 2019, only to be ignored.
“If the authorities think motorbikes are that dangerous, why don’t they ban them in Naypyidaw, Mandalay or Bago?” he told Myanmar Mix.
Ko Thet said he plans to continue campaigning against the “strange order” in the coming weeks, starting first in outer townships such as North Dagon and Hlaing Thar Yar, where commuters can face long walks before boarding cramped buses, which aren’t great at the best of times, never mind during a pandemic.
“But rich or poor, we only have 24 hours in a day. We can use that time doing other things, like being with our families,” he said, adding that motorcyclists should abide by traffic rules and wear a helmet or face the law.
The 2003 ban covered 31 out of 33 townships in the Yangon municipal area, excepting Dala and Seikgyi Kanaungto, however the Myanmar Times reported that motorbikes are now banned in only 14 townships.
While police and other government workers are exempt, motorcyclists say police charge them arbitary fines and sometimes seize their motorbikes under the ban. However, enforcement measures seem to be lax on the outskirts of the city where motorbikes are a common sight.
