A Budget measure to incentivise the use of motorbikes is misleading, according to experts, who urged the government to do more to encourage their use to reduce traffic problems.

The number of private cars on the road increased by more than 30,000 in the last five years, while the number of motorbikes increased by less than 4,000, according to the most recent official statistics.

This means that the rate of increase of cars on the road over the last five years amounted to 13 per cent, while motorbikes increased by 26 per cent.

Last year, there were just over 18,000 licensed motorbikes on the roads – this figure excludes 312 leased and rented motorbikes.

257,451

- the number of privately-owned cars

18,000

- the number of privately-owned motorbikes

The number of privately owned cars last year amounted to 257,451, a figure which excludes taxis, leased and rental cars, commercial vehicles, buses and agricultural vehicles.

Over the years, the licence fee for fuel-efficient cars has gone down as a result of government incentives to promote the use of low-emission vehicles. But the licence for motorbikes has increased.

Gordon Micallef, owner of Gordon’s Moto Centre, confirmed his business has experienced growth. Between 2013 and 2014, sales increased by 28 per cent.

The main reasons people cited for shifting to motorbikes were the increase in traffic and parking problems.

But while government incentives promoting the use of motorbikes would help, they needed to be effective, he stressed.

The measure introduced in the last Budget to remove registration taxes for motorbikes up to 250cc was misleading since it was only related to vintage motorbikes. The removal of registration taxes on such motorbikes was implemented in 2012.

“People come to our shop asking for 250cc bikes thinking their price would be reduced. We have to explain the change applies only to vintage bikes with that capacity,” he said.

Vintage bikes imported are usually of a higher capacity – the Harley Davidson kind. Most motorbikes sold locally are low capacity. Reducing the road licence for these bikes would have been more helpful, he suggested.

“The road licence for a 125cc bike is €60. If this is reduced, it would be a good incentive,” he added.

Mr Micallef said incentives provided throughout Europe should be introduced in Malta to help overcome fear.

In Europe anyone who has had a driver’s licence for five years can drive a 125cc, or at least a 50cc, motorbike without needing a licence.

This helps overcome fear of the unknown, encouraging motorists to get the licence.

Traffic expert Hugh Arnett agreed. “The government keeps promising incentives for motorbike riders but why they are not being implemented is beyond all of us,” he said.

Mr Arnett said drivers using low capacity bikes would be a sensible solution to alleviate traffic and parking problems.

Tony Darmanin, presenter of Paq Paq TV programme, became a motorbike enthusiast after discovering biker benefits on Maltese roads.

Distances are covered in a much shorter period of time and parking problems are minimised.

“On top of that, a bike here can be used most days in the year,” he said.

He stressed the need for an education campaign to address the fear of bikes. At the same time, road infrastructure and safety measures needed to be improved, he said.

When asked whether incentives for motorbike users were being considered, Transport Malta said it proposed several schemes to government intended “at achieving various objectives”.