In an apparent move to earn revenue from Burma’s motorcycle owners, the authorities are selling licenses to the general public for a period of four months, from July until the end of October. Residents of Rangoon and Naypyidaw are excluded from the new provision, however.

In Rangoon and Naypyidaw, licenses were issued only to local and central government officials, police and military intelligence personnel. Private owners of motorcycles were, in effect, riding illegally.

A resident of the border town of  Myawaddy said he had paid 300,000 kyat [US $255] for a licence, plus 20,000 Kyat [$17] requested by the authorities for cyclone relief. “It’s a lot of money, but we’re happy to pay it and own our motorcycles legally,” he said.

License fees vary throughout the country, however. Motorcycle owners in Central Burma towns such as Taunggyi and Mandalay have to pay 400,000-500,000 kyat [$340-425] while residents of Tachilek on the border with northern Thailand are charged about 200,000 kyat [$170].

The addition of a “contribution” to cyclone relief is being questioned by some motorcycle owners. One Rangoon economist said it was suspected that the money was ending up in government coffers.

The license fees were also a convenient way of increasing government income, he argued.

Licenses are valid for two or three years, depending on the number of the motorcycle’s license plate.

Burma has no motorcycle industry, and most machines are imported from China, Japan and Thailand. More than 500,000 of the country’s motorcycles are unlicensed, according to
Rangoon traffic police statistics.

Small dealers believe they will be handicapped by the new licensing procedure, arguing that large companies will now be able to able to increase their imports in response to orders from customers wanting to own their motorcycles legally.

Nyan Lin, a dealer who imports motorcycles from Thailand, said: “It is a very difficult time for small businessmen like me, who can afford to buy only one or two machines at a time.

“Wealthy businessmen are contacting foreign manufacturers and dealers directly, investing huge amounts of money.”