Phnom Penh city officials want the government to ban the import of old motorcycles to the city and plan to sharply hike on-the-street fines for unregistered bikes.
Nhem Saran, Chief of the Public Works Department, said Tuesday the city has sent a letter to the government requesting a ban on the import of motorcycles more than 15 years old.
Officials said the motorcycles are too old to tax, pollute the air and are a public nuisance.
Chan Sokunthea, adviser to Governor Chea Sophara, said Tuesday that old motorcycles sell for so little that buyers are reluctant to pay the motorcycle tax, which can be more than the bikes are worth.
“We should not be the country where rubbish is thrown,” Nhem Saran said, adding that he did not think the plan was unfair to bike buyers on a tight budget.
Meanwhile, scofflaws be warned: the fine for unregistered motorcycles will increase from 500 riel to 5,000 riel next month, Nhem Saran said. The bigger fines will apply only to motorcycles built since 1985, while older bikes will continue to be fined 500 riel, he said.
The new fines will take effect after the city has issued new plates to the 30,000 motorcycle owners who have registered since the June 1 deadline set by Chea Sophara, Nhem Saran said.
Nhem Saran said that those who registered should receive new plates in about a month.
The city may also ask the government to allow temporary registration of old motorcycles whose owners are refusing to pay the tax or register their bikes on the grounds the cost is higher than the value of the motorcycles, Nhem Saran said.
Registration of a motorcycle costs 35,000 riel (around $9) while the tax can vary from $40 to $192 depending on the type and condition of the bike, Nhem Saran said.
Owners of pre-1985 motorcycles will be allowed to defer the tax payment, he said.
