Gasgoo.com (Shanghai December 13) - The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers has called for the government to loosen restrictions on motorcycles, chinanews.com reported today.

The statements were made by Li Bin, secretary general for the CAAM's motorcycle division, at an industry summit held earlier this week. Mr. Li quoted European studies which showed that if 10 percent of automobile drivers in any given city rode motorcycles, said city's traffic congestion could decrease by 40 percent. "China is the only country in the world to restrict motorcycles," he said, adding that it was municipal authorities, not the central or provincial governments, who have authorized the restrictions.

Aside from helping combat traffic congestion problems, Mr. Li cites the relatively environmental friendliness and overall convenience of motorcycles. "We have conducted several tests on Beijing's roads using three types of transportation. [In any one given route], motorcycles were the fastest, followed by public transportation, [while] automobiles were the slowest."

Several local governments limit motorcycle usage due to safety concerns, with many believing that motorcycles are prone to accidents. In response to these allegations, Mr. Li states that the ultimate factor when dealing with transportation safety is the operator of the vehicle, and not the vehicle type. Mr. Li believes that proper education is key. "In Taiwan, aside from senior citizens and children, almost everyone owns a motorcycle," he said, adding, "they are very serious about safety education." "After ten years of work there, it is nearly impossible to find a motorcycle rider not wearing a helmet," he stated.

Mr. Li regards claims of motorcycles as being used for robberies as ludicrous. "In that case, with all the thefts in the US, wouldn't [the authorities there] restrict automobile usage?," he asks.

According to Mr. Li, the CAAM is currently in discussion with several government bodies regarding the topic. The CAAM is providing the authorities with foreign research on motorcycle usage with the aim of loosening restrictions on the Chinese motorcycle market. "We hope to see the market for motorcycles open up [and develop], allowing motorcycles and automobiles to share the road equally."