Motorbike licensure in Arakan State proves lucrative for regime

14 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
14 February 2023, Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime earned about K 700 million from issuing licences to 5,746 motorbikes in Arakan State from September 28, 2022, to January 30, 2023, according to the Arakan State military council.

The General Administration Department, Myanmar Police Force, Road Transport Administration Department and Customs Department jointly issued licences to motorbikes in several Arakan State townships, U Hla Thein, spokesman of Arakan State’s military council, wrote on his Facebook page on February 13.

“Relevant officials have gone to various townships and issued licences to unlicensed motorcycles in accordance with the law,” he wrote.

DMG asked U Kan Nyunt, director of the Road Transport Administration Department, and U Hla Thein to find out more about the matter, including where the funds collected from the unlicensed motorcycles would be spent, but received no response.

Police Colonel Thet Lwin, Arakan State minister for road transport, has told DMG that the reason for issuing such licences is to take action against the drivers of unlicensed vehicles in the event that they are involved in an accident.

Although the Arakan State military council says it is working to issue motorbike licences to all those who want them via respective township offices, delays have been reported.

“I applied for a motorcycle licence around October and had to wait a long time because of the crowd,” said Ko Lin Myat Thu, a resident of Sittwe. “I applied for a motorbike licence after taking leave from work. It took two days and I got the licence. My friends have not yet applied for a motorcycle licence. The Road Transport Administration Department has announced that the issuance of licences with one-stop service has been suspended, so my friends have not yet applied for motorbike licences.”

Arakan State’s Road Transport Administration Department has announced that the issuance of motorcycle licences through the one-stop service in Sittwe, Arakan State, has been suspended indefinitely.

For motorbike licensing, a fee of K40,000 to K100,000 has been set for motorcycles made in China; K100,000 to K200,000 for Thai-made motorbikes; K50,000 to K200,000 for Indian-made motorbikes; and K100,000 to K200,000 for motorcycles made in Vietnam.