(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Mohammad Shoeb I The Peninsula
The sale of motorbikes in Qatar witnessed a sharp two-fold jump in April this year. The registration for new private motorcycles in April 2019 increased to 364 units, witnessing a remarkable growth of nearly 98 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) compared to 175 in the corresponding month last year (April 2018).
Even when compared on month-on-month (m-o-m) basis the registration for motorcycles in April saw a double-digit growth of 40.7 percent compared to 246 in the previous month (March 2019), latest official data released by the Planning and Statistics Authority show.
Talks with some leading driving schools in Qatar also suggested that the demand of driver's licenses for motorbikes has seen a moderate growth over the past few months as a lot of middle-income people are also seeking to obtain motorbike licenses for adventure driving.
'Enquiries by applicants seeking driver's license for motorbike is growing as more and more people, especially from middle-income group, are also buying luxury motorbikes for fun ride. This increase in demand for two-wheeler's license is in addition to applicants who are working in restaurants and other companies, particularly those providing door-to-door delivery services, Rejendra, a senior official at Karwa Driving School, who gave only his first name, told The Peninsula, yesterday.
Rejendra added: 'The duration of training course and fees required to obtain a motorbike lisence is relatively less compared to that for cars and other light motor vehicles. Therefore, a lot of people also prefer to use motorbikes for daily commuting instead of cars.
According to official data, the sales of private vehicles such as cars and SUVs have also increased to 3,843 in April 2019, up by 5.5 percent compared to 3,644 in the same month last year. When compared on monthly basis, the registration for new private vehicles has declined by 12.5 percent against 4,393 in March 2019.
The sales of private transport vehicles (which include shuttle buses, limousines, and other light and heavy vehicles for mass transport) has increased to 1,281 in April registering a double-digit growth of 15.2 percent compared to 1,112 in same month last year. The sales of new trailers and heavy equipment saw a decline in April, both year-on-years as well as on monthly basis.
Analysts suggest that the fall in the registration of trailers and heavy equipment is understandably for the reason as most big ticket construction projects (where these equipment are extensively used) are either complete or at the verge of completion.
The registration for new vehicles classified under the 'Others category stood at 63 units in April 2019, showing a decline of 23.2 percent (y-o-y) and 10 percent on monthly basis.
In total, some 5,705 new vehicles were registered in April 2019, showing a year-on-year growth of 8 percent in sales of vehicles compared to 5,283 in the same month last year. However, when compared on monthly basis, we can see a decline of 8.6 percent in April against 6,245 in March 2019.
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