Motorcycle registrations treble in five years

NEW ZEALAND MOTORCYCLE DISTRIBUTORS’ ASSOCIATION

Media release
3rd October 2006

Motorcycle registrations treble in five years

The total number of motorcycles newly registered on the road continues to climb. This is shown in the October new registration figures released by the Land Transport Safety Authority which show an increase in the year to date figures from 5347 motorcycle registrations in 2002 to 15935 up to the end of October this year.

A table with October year to date new registrations of motorcycles and scooters for the last five years is shown below. This shows the steady sales increase over that period.

There are no signs of this increase abating and the industry expects the growth to continue.

Clive Hellyar, the Industry Relations spokesperson for the New Zealand Motorcycle Distributors Association, the organisation representing the interests of the importers and distributors of motorcycles and scooters, commented that in the past Governments had been inclined to ignore the part that motorcycles play in our road transport mix. “This has meant that some areas such as the Rules covering licensing of motorcycle riders were not world best practice and are in need of updating”.

“The need to make changes has been accepted by government agencies such as Land Transport New Zealand but other areas of road transport policy have taken precedence” he said. “The time is now overdue for the Government to take motorcycles seriously and to factor them into its road transport policy strategies”.

He concluded by saying “We want to work with the Government to achieve a positive environment for motorcyclists, particularly given the increasing numbers of two wheeled riders on New Zealand roads, but so far we have been disappointed with the lack of action on the part of some Government agencies”

October year to date registrations of motorcycles and scooters
2002 5347
2003 6737
2004 12084
2005 12447
2006 15935

ENDS

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