More than 50 motorcyclists in Guanghzhou received compensation totaling 64,000 yuan (US$7,738) Wednesday, the first day of a compensation program implemented by the city's traffic administration authorities.

The compensation program is to encourage motorcycle owners to discard them before their service life expires. A total ban on motorcycles will be imposed throughout the city in 2007.

The city's motorcycle scrap center was full of motorcyclists on Wednesday. The owners were told to fill forms to claim compensation. The scrap companies had to ask for more staff to handle the huge number claiming compensation.

A man surnamed Fu, who had his motorcycle for more than 11 years, said it was worth scrapping his motorcycle because it would save him paying taxes and fees. Many owners, who scrapped their motorcycles, had not used them for four to five years. They said they depended more on public transport with the development of public transport and including the Metro in recent years.

Motorcycles will be gradually phased out and the ban will be extended to every corner of the city by Jan. 1, 2007. Guangzhou has about 313,700 registered motorbikes.

To cut down on the number of motorcycles, the government shortened the service life of motorcycles from 13 years to eight or 10 years.

Deputy Director General of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, Liang Xingxia, said nearly half the traffic accidents in Guangzhou involved motorcycles. They are also used in half the robberies in the city. The ban is to reduce traffic accidents and street robberies.

For people who stand to lose their means of livelihood due to the ban, the government has mapped out policies to allow them to join the city's unemployment insurance program.

Editor: Catherine