Created Date: November 25, 2024 04:00
Increasing automobile prices and traffic congestion throughout the day have led those living in metropolitan cities to use motorcycles. At the end of 10 months, the number of automobiles in 5 metropolitan cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir increased by only 6 percent, while the number of motorcycles increased by 25 percent on average. Istanbul is a motorcycle city; The number of two-wheelers in the city, which was 365 thousand in 2020, is expected to reach 800 thousand by 2024.
In the last two years, especially in metropolitan cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya, a large concentration of motorcycles has attracted the attention of those who go to traffic. While automobile purchasing and operating costs are increasing, motorcycle sales continue to grow by breaking records. So much so that, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) data, the number of motorcycles registered to traffic in the January-October period increased by 27.7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and surpassed 1 million sales on an annual basis for the first time in history. In the same period, passenger car sales amounted to 750 thousand units.
250 THOUSAND MOTORCYCLES TO ISTANBUL IN 2 YEARS
Official data revealed that the number of motorcycles registered to traffic in the last two years has exploded in metropolitan cities. For example, the number of motorcycles registered to traffic in Istanbul, which was 365 thousand as of the end of 2020, has approached 800 thousand as of October 2024. According to the data we compiled from TÜİK, in the January-October 2023 period, 621 thousand motorcycles were circulating in Istanbul traffic, and in January-October 2024, this number increased by 24.10 percent, reaching 771 thousand 880 units. During the same period, the number of passenger cars registered in traffic increased by only 6 percent, from 3 million 551 thousand to 3 million 777 thousand.
EVEN FROM ANKARA PASSED ON 2 WHEELS
İstanbul In addition, the number of motorcycles is increasing day by day in densely populated metropolitan cities such as Antalya, Izmir and Ankara, respectively. Accordingly, the number of motorcycles in Antalya, which was 417 thousand units in the January-October 2023 period, increased by 16.07 percent in the January-October 2024 period, reaching 485 thousand units. In the same period, the number of motorcycles registered to traffic in Izmir increased by 19.61 percent and reached 455 thousand units, while even in Ankara, where motorcycles are not very preferred, there was a significant increase of 34.42 percent at the end of 10 months and the number of motorcycles registered to traffic increased to 135 thousand units. During this period, the number of passenger cars in these cities increased by approximately 6 percent, similar to Istanbul.
4-WHEEL ELECTRICS ARE IN DECLINE
The market share of four-wheeled electric vehicles, which have recently been offered to consumers as ‘domestic’ cars but are classified as motorcycles in the L7 class, is shrinking. According to MOTED data, the market share of these vehicles decreased by 5 percent in the January-October 2024 period, decreasing to 5 thousand 18 units. The 20 service requirement in 7 regions for vehicles imported from China was also effective in this contraction. At the end of 10 months, the number of electric motorcycles sold increased by 50 percent compared to the same period last year and constituted 20 percent of the total motorcycle market with 209 thousand units. In other words, 2 out of every 10 motorcycles sold were electric.
‘INSPECTIONS ARE STRICT BUT THERE ARE MANY UNTRAINED DRIVERS’
The AUTOMOBILE class paved the way for the purchase of motorcycles, but this also caused many people to hit the road without fully receiving their training. Advanced driving techniques expert Murat Kanlıoğlu stated that traffic police have increased the inspections on motorcycles, but people who have never ridden a motorcycle before in their lives buy motorcycles and use these vehicles as if they were cars. He said, “Riding a motorcycle in traffic requires much more attention than a car. Because here, in a sense, your body is your body. That’s why quality equipment is a must before buying a motorcycle. “In addition, there should be plenty of training and practice apart from driving courses,” he said.
63 PERCENT 125 CC AND BELOW
Motorcycle Industry Association (MOTEDAccording to ) data, 655 thousand 631 of the motorcycles sold in the January-October 2024 period, corresponding to 63 percent, were motorcycles of 125 cc and below that can be used with a class B driver’s license.
Source: bigpara.hurriyet.com.tr
