Crackdown leaves motorcyclists in limbo

The convenience of commuting by motorcycle may be at an end. Many motorcyclists in urban areas are having to resort to new means of transport following a crackdown on parking offenses and inadequate parking facilities.

Due to the introduction of private-sector parking wardens in 2006, the number of motorcyclists fined for parking offenses in 2007 increased fivefold from 2005 numbers, a recent survey showed.

The wardens' regular patrols of busy urban areas mean that maintaining a motorcycle is more costly than ever. That, in turn, has alarmed manufacturers who are witnessing plunging sales.

In 2007, there were 521,000 cases of illegally parked motorcycles, a sharp increase from 110,000 in 2005, the National Police Agency said.

Cases were primarily concentrated in urban areas, with nearly half them, or 251,000, in Tokyo. There were 106,000 cases in Osaka Prefecture; 61,000 in Kanagawa Prefecture; and 37,000 in Kyoto Prefecture.

In 28 prefectures, mostly rural areas of the Tohoku, Hokuriku, Chugoku and Shikoku regions, only up to six cases were reported.

According to agency officials, the disparity in cases among prefectures is mainly due to the stronger support and demands for a parking crackdown among residents in urban areas, where space is at a premium and motorcycle numbers higher.

Meanwhile, the lack of adequate parking facilities for larger two-wheel vehicles meant that motorcycles with engine power greater than 50cc accounted for most of the increase, the NPA said.

Under the revised road traffic law, effective from June 2006, drivers and owners of illegally parked vehicles are now both liable. And under the revised parking law, effective from November 2006, motorcycles over 50cc must now be legally parked. Previously, vehicles with 50cc engines or smaller had to park in designated spaces, but a loophole meant there was no parking regulation for larger vehicles.

Since the revised road traffic law came into effect, the number of private parking wardens also increased, with a total of 1,766 officers employed at 310 police stations across Japan in fiscal 2007.

According to the Nirinsha Shimbun, an industry newspaper for motorcycle manufacturers, an increasing number of motorcycle owners in Tokyo are giving up their vehicles due to the stricter regulation and lack of sufficient parking.

In turn, sales of new vehicles are also plunging. For instance, sales of 250cc scooters dropped by 10 percent between 2005 and 2006, before plunging by 20 percent more between 2006 and 2007, the newspaper said.

In a bid to alleviate the plight of motorcyclists, the Tokyo metropolitan government will set up a discussion panel with representatives from manufacturers, parking operators and the Metropolitan Police Department to map out plans to increase parking spaces by the end of fiscal 2008.

Tokyo's metropolitan and municipal governments already provide parking operators with subsidies of up to 200,000 yen per vehicle to create spaces for motorcycles.

Other municipalities, such as Yokohama and Kawasaki, have also revised local ordinances to help increase the number of parking lots.(IHT/Asahi: May 12,2008)