Powerful motorcycles soon on local roads
View(s):Sri Lanka is to allow the import of high powered motorcycles with engine capacity ranging from 450cc to 1001cc with the approval of the Treasury under a gazette notification stipulating the new duty and taxes, Motor Traffic Department (MTD) sources revealed.
A new duty structure for motor cycles is expected to be announced in the upcoming 2015 budget revising applicable duties, taxes and registration fees with MTD. The Cabinet of Ministers had approved the import of high capacity motor bikes last year.
Earlier, the import of high powered bikes was allowed only for sports activities and training purposes with the approval of the Defence Secretary. The country was importing motorcycles with a capacity lesser than 350 cc but this restriction has been removed. Permission to import high powered motorcycles was not given earlier due to concerns expressed by the police that such motor bikes could be used for criminal activities and they could easily escape as the low enforcement authorities did not have such powerful motor cycles.
However the police recently imported 230 new bikes of 600 cc capacity at a price of Rs.3 million each empowering them to handle such criminal activities, the MTD official said adding that new speed limits for motor bikes will also be announced shortly. The decision to allow the import of high powered bikes into the country has raised fresh security concerns, as the Traffic Police have bikes only up to 600 cc. Another concern was the sound pollution caused by these powerful motor cycles that would become an environmental hazard in a small country like Sri Lanka which has one of the highest population densities in the world.
These motorbikes will be only be permitted on express highways and new roads and not other roads.