TEHRAN – Some 56 percent of the total motorcycles in the country are running in only five provinces, Ali Mohammadi, a senior traffic police official has said.

Of all 32.9 million vehicles in the country, motorcycles amount to 11.6 million, accounting for 35 percent of the total vehicles moving in the country, he stated.

According to the statistics, 56 percent of motorcycles are plying the roads in 5 provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Fars and Khuzestan, he added.

There are 2 million motorcycles in Tehran, 1.3 million in Khorasan Razavi, 1.2 million in Isfahan, 916,000 in Fars, and 564,000 in Khuzestan, he also said.

The capital city of Tehran alone has the biggest share of motorcyclists constituting 21 percent of the estimated 56 percent, he noted, IRNA reported on Sunday.

In contrast, provinces of Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad with 25,000 motorcycles, Ilam with 34,000, Ardabil with 50,000, Chahar Mahal-Bakhtiari with 65,000, and South Khorasan with 84,000 motorcycles are among the cities with the lowest number of motorcycles in the country, he explained.

“This year, issuing license plates for motorcycles has increased by 35 percent.”

How motorcycles are disadvantageous?

According to a report by the World Bank, motorcycles are the second largest contributor to PM in Tehran, even before cars which greatly outnumber them. 

One of the main reasons behind their high contribution to emissions is that a large part of the fuel consumed in motorcycles burns incompletely. The Tehran motorcycle fleet consists mostly of carburetor-equipped motorcycles which are typically less fuel efficient and emit more emissions compared to newer, fuel injection technology.

On the other hand, motorcycles can contribute to road fatalities due to the low safety; motorcycle riders known as the highest contributors to road casualties holding a great share in the accidents happened in the country.

According to the World Health Organization, almost half of all deaths on the world’s roads are among those with the least protection – motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

FB/MG