On June 18, 2025, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security jointly released the "Notice on Optimizing Motorcycle Traffic Management." This notice announced two major nationwide policy adjustments effective July 1, 2025: the lifting of motorcycle restrictions in urban core areas and the simplification of cross-provincial license plate and registration procedures. This policy shift marks a long-awaited turning point for the "motorcycle era," directly benefiting over 87 million motorcycle owners nationwide.
Looking back over the past two decades, strict restrictions, or even outright bans, on motorcycles have been common in China's large and medium-sized cities. According to Ministry of Transport statistics, by the end of 2024, 289 out of 337 prefecture-level cities and above had implemented various traffic restrictions on motorcycles. While these policies helped alleviate traffic congestion and emission pollution during a specific historical period, their rationale has increasingly been questioned by society as urban planning has improved and new energy technologies have advanced.
The first major highlight of the new policy is the removal of urban core area restrictions. Under the new rules, local authorities are prohibited from imposing all-day, area-wide traffic controls on motorcycles using city management as justification. Ministry of Transport data shows that in just the four major first-tier cities-Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen-motorcycle restrictions were causing an additional cumulative 1.75 million hours of daily travel time, equivalent to wasting nearly 200,000 workdays. Lifting these restrictions is expected to save urban commuters 15-30% in travel time while reducing urban road congestion by approximately 7%.
Li Ming, Director of the Urban Transport Research Center at Beijing Jiaotong University, stated in an interview: "Motorcycles occupy less road space, with a road space efficiency 3.5 times that of passenger cars. In the highly valuable urban environment, motorcycles are actually an ideal solution for the 'last mile' problem."
The latest survey report from the China Motorcycle Association revealed that while the national motorcycle fleet reached 123 million units in 2024, the urban usage rate was only 39%, significantly lower than the international average of 68%. Restrictive policies were cited as the primary cause. Industry insiders predict that with the lifting of restrictions, the urban motorcycle usage rate could rise above 55% within a year.
Data released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) indicates that over 18 million motorcycle owners annually need to handle cross-provincial license plate procedures due to job relocations or returning to their hometowns for work, requiring an average of 4.2 working days per person. Post-reform, this process will be shortened to half a working day, saving society approximately 75.6 million working days annually.
The motorcycle industry is also poised for significant growth. According to market forecasts by the China Chamber of Commerce for Motorcycle, following the policy relaxation, national motorcycle sales in 2025 are projected to increase by 38% year-on-year, reaching 23.7 million units. Electric motorcycles are expected to account for 56% of sales, a record high. Sales in the first month alone after implementation are forecast to surpass 2 million units.
Leading domestic motorcycle manufacturer CFMOTO stated in its latest financial report that it has proactively expanded its electric motorcycle production lines, boosting capacity by 65% compared to the same period last year to meet post-policy market demand. Stocks of multiple motorcycle manufacturers saw an average increase of 23.4% in the five trading days following the policy announcement.
These policy adjustments have been hailed by the public as a move to "return the roads to the people." A social media survey covering over 520,000 respondents showed that 89.7% supported lifting motorcycle restrictions, and 73.4% expressed consideration of purchasing a motorcycle for daily commuting. User "BlueSkyWhiteCloud" commented: "It's about time! Motorcycles are not only economical, but also offer superior maneuverability in congested cities."
The return of the "motorcycle era" represents not just a change in transportation modes, but also an enhancement in urban quality of life. As we see more and more motorcycles navigating city streets, we can perhaps sense a city's embrace of diverse transportation options and its respect for citizens' freedom of movement. This truly embodies people-oriented urban governance.
