The Department of Land Transport is set to impose a minimum age limit for big bike riders who must also obtain a special licence, in a move to prevent road accidents involving the vehicles.
Department director-general, Chirute Visalachitra, said people qualified to apply for a big bike licence must have had an ordinary motorcycle licence for at least two years. They must also attend a training course and a test. The Motor Vehicle Act is being amended to add penalties against riders of big bikes with an engine capacity more than 400cc who do not have a licence. A minimum age requirement will also be implemented for such a licence, said the director-general. Over 21.2 million motorcycles are registered with the department, some 216,547 of which are big bikes, according to department figures.
Chamaipan Santikarn, manager of ThaiHealth's Social Mobilization for Motorcycle Safety Project, has called on the government to address road accidents involving motorcycles with a focus on stricter regulations for big bike riders as well as young riders.
Dr Chamaipan said big bikes should be defined as motorcycles with engines of 246cc and over, and the state should set the minimum age for people to buy and ride them at 21. A Graduate Driver Licensing (GDL) system which would allow riders to acquire the licence step-by-step should be adopted, she said, as it was proven to help cut injuries and fatalities among new motorists by almost 25%.