Guangzhou Bans Motorcycles

Posted: 01 Mar 2007

Related to: Guangzhou BRT, Two and Three Wheelers, China
Contributed by: Karl Fjellstrom, ITDP

In Guangzhou, China, a ban on motorcycles has dramatically improved walking conditions.

Motorcycles, which still accounted for nearly a third of non-walking trips in 2003, have been completely banned in since January 2007. The ban was announced in March 1998 and has been implemented in phases, beginning with a moratorium on new licenses, extending to various roads and time periods, and culminating nearly nine years later in a total ban.

As a result, many motorbike riders have shifted to bicycles and buses, a development that has in turn increased pressure to expand and improve bicycle facilities and bus services. Bike parking facilities are currently being retrofitted at metro stations, and officials have stressed that the BRT system should include high quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities. New forms of paratransit access to bus stops like cycle rickshaws have also emerged as a popular substitute for motorcycle taxis.