Hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province in south China, will receive compensation next year when a downtown ban on motorcycles begins.

The 313,700 registered motorbike owners will be compensated for their motorcycles, on the basis of how long the service life of the bike is, Cui Renquan, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government said Thursday.

Related taxes and fees already paid will also be returned on a monthly basis.

"The compensation measures will take effect on Jan. 1, 2005," the official said.

The ban on motorcycles will affect those who make a living from their motorcycle business or maintenance service, he said. For those who may lose their livelihood due to the ban, the government has mapped out policies to allow them to join the city's unemployment insurance program for insurance money.

Motorcycles will be phased out starting next month, when they will be prohibited from the city's trunk roads and downtown areas during certain hours.

An all-weather prohibition of motorcycles from the main roads in Guangzhou will begin from Jan. 1, 2006, and the prohibition will be applied to every corner of the city by 2007, the paper said.

The ban on motorcycles is expected to axe traffic pressure, improve the living environment and reduce robberies in urban areas.

(China Daily April 2, 2004)