After just one month in operation the Junta have closed registration centers recently created to provide licenses for illegal motorcycles, despite their previous announcement that the centers would operate for four months from July 1st.  The centers were set up in four of Burma’s major cities: Mandalay, Moulmein, Begu and Myitkyina.

The registration center of Township Land Transportation Department (Ka Na Nya) in Moulmein was closed to all bookings from the beginning of August without reason. A local resident who visited the Ka Na Nya Department told Kaowao that authorities told him to come back at the end of August as no more bookings would be taken this month. Many people believe that with the Junta highly paranoid throughout the month of August, given the history of events in this month, they wished to reduce the number of people moving around, and especially reduce those near government offices. 

A source close to the Township Land Transportation Department said it was concerned with corruption when booking the motorbikes, as they would ask applicants to wait overnight allowing some staff from inside the department to ask for bribes to speed the registration process up.  They have so far been registering approximately 300 motorbikes per day; in July nearly 10,000 motorbikes registered for licenses in Moulmein alone.

The number of illegal two wheeled transportation in Southern Burma has increased since the Junta announced the new licensing requirements.  According to a broker from Myawaddy, even though the price of a 2007-2008 model illegal motorbike imported from Thailand was high at nearly 200,000 Kyat, most consumers in Southern Burma still opt for these bikes as that cost is markedly less than that imposed for licenses by the Junta.  Many bikes enter Burma through Myawaddy.  The license fee for a motorcycle is between 100,000-500,000 Kyat (US$85-425) depending on the make and model of the motorcycle, Moulmein residents told Kaowao.