The growth in the number of motorcycles in Jalisco has reached worrying figures. According to data from the Institute of Statistical and Geographic Information, between 2022 and 2023, more than 104,000 new motorcycles were added to the State’s vehicle fleet, which is equivalent to an average of 286 new units circulating each day.
Rafael González Bravo, an academic at the University of Guadalajara, explains that one of the main factors behind the increase in the purchase of motorcycles is their low cost compared to a car. “They are cheaper than a car, and the ease of acquiring them on credit, often with weekly payments, makes them very accessible to the population,” he comments. However, it also warns about the growing number of motorcycles circulating without insurance or plates, which represents a risk to road safety, since many of them are not formally registered with the authorities.
The increase is notable when compared to previous years. In 2018, the state registry documented 475 thousand motorcycles; However, by 2023, that figure already exceeded 838 thousand units. César Martínez, a resident of San Agustín, Tlajomulco, decided to sell his car to buy a motorcycle due to the high cost of gasoline. “More than 10 years ago, green gasoline was less than 15 pesos per liter, now it is 24. With life more expensive, I decided to change to a motorcycle, and not only did I have money left over when I sold my car, I also saved on my trips to work,” he says.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to traditional motorcycles. There is also an increase in the acquisition of electric motorcycles, according to some buyers. “I bought an electric motorcycle in the Center of Guadalajara. It cost me 25 thousand pesos and I don’t spend on gasoline. For short trips it is a great option,” says one of them.
Stores that sell motorcycles have made access to these vehicles even easier, asking for minimum requirements such as an INE credential, a phone number and an email to start the purchasing process. In a recent report, it was highlighted how these stores offer financing plans with affordable weekly payments, which has boosted the sale of motorcycles, often without ensuring that buyers register their vehicles with license plates and on the vehicle registry.
Patricia Martínez, head of the Metropolitan Planning Institute, highlights that the ease of purchase is a determining factor in the increase in the number of motorcycles. “In places like Zapotlanejo, for example, they deliver motorcycles with payments of 75 pesos a day and with practically no requirements. This has caused the number of motorcycles in circulation to grow excessively,” he explains.
The municipalities with the largest number of motorcycles are Zapopan, Guadalajara, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Tlaquepaque, Tonalá and although in smaller towns, such as Zapotlanejo, the number of these vehicles per household is significantly higher. This reflects not only an urban trend, but also in rural and semi-urban areas, where motorcycles have become the main means of transportation.
Motorcycles practically doubled in the last six-year term in Jalisco, due to the ease of purchasing them. THE INFORMATOR / H. Figueroa
Motorcyclists, between chaos and lack of road culture
Driving along any avenue in the city becomes an ordeal when it comes to avoiding motorcyclists between lanes. Most of them drive without the slightest caution, trying to outrun cars and even cargo trucks without considering that they have blind spots, and sometimes they do so carelessly or putting other crew members at risk.
In addition, Jalisco leads nationally with the highest rate in the country in terms of motorcycles. Based on the most recent figures from Inegi, it is estimated that in the State there are 8,633 motorcycles per 100,000 inhabitants, compared, for example, to Mexico City, which has 6,611 motorcycles per 100,000. inhabitants, thus placing it in second place nationally.
Exponential growth
For Fernando García de Quevedo, associate professor of the Department of Civil Engineering at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Guadalajara campus, this is part of the road culture that exists not only in the State, but throughout Mexico and in general in Latin America, and does not derive not only from the exponential growth of this type of vehicles on the streets, but from an absence of road culture and the lack of attention from the authorities.
He highlighted that, in addition, there are other countries that become an example in the matter because they have incorporated specifications into their construction and urbanization codes to make the transit of these vehicles safer, such as Australia, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, New York and France, where there is a great road culture that adds a shared responsibility: motorcyclists drive in an orderly manner knowing that they obtain benefits for their safety from the authorities.
There are some countries that have a confined lane for the circulation of motorcycles, especially in highway areas, as they have done in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, given the high volume of motorcycles that circulate on their road arteries.
However, for García de Quevedo Najar, it is not convenient to think that the Metropolitan Zone could have a confined lane for the mobility of motorcycles, since the avenues in general are small to think about it, considering, also, that the majority already It has important segmentations, such as the cycle paths that promote non-motorized mobility and those that are intended for public transportation, such as the Peribús, the Macrobús and the spaces intended for the circulation of the Light Rail.
The specialist indicated that exclusive lanes can be an option only for those cities where the volumes of motorcycles represent around 30% or more of the total vehicle fleet. In the case of Jalisco, according to the most recent data from Inegi, the around 750 thousand motorcycles registered in the State represent just 17% of the 4.4 million vehicles in circulation in the Entity.
“The solution really is not confinement, the solution is to respect the mobility regulations, which require wearing a helmet, having insurance, requiring that a single person be on the motorcycle, not an entire family, that they respect each other. traffic signals, which circulate in the center of the lane and not between lanes or zigzagging. The problem is that the users themselves do not respect this regulation, it is completely a problem of road culture, it is a problem of road awareness that has to be addressed,” said García de Quevedo Najar.
Italy is a good example
José Juan Pablo Rojas Ramírez, urban mobility specialist at the Penta Governance Network for the Sustainable Territory, agreed that Italy is an example of good practices by motorcyclists, and added that it is not just about social classes. , because although there are those who use motorcycles as a family vehicle, sometimes transporting up to five members, including minors, this derives from the lack of actions on the part of the authorities, who on the one hand have not been able to contain the violations of mobility laws, and on the other hand, they do not generate true awareness campaigns to ensure that these are complied with.
Lack of discussion
Although the deputies that make up the Mobility and Transportation Commission of the Congress of Jalisco were consulted about the viability of a confined lane for motorcycles in the State, only the representative for Futuro, Susana de la Rosa, shared her comment on the matter. Neither representative Mónica Magaña, president of the commission and representative for Movimiento Ciudadano, nor Julio Hurtado, from the PAN, responded to the request.
Susana de la Rosa shared that, before thinking about having confined lanes for vehicles of this type, the discussion must be raised about how to benefit the most vulnerable users, such as pedestrians. “Let’s discuss the expansion of sidewalks; Let’s think about more kilometers and better bike lane infrastructure for cyclists; public transportation,” said the representative, but not before pointing out that public transportation has precisely become the responsibility of users, and that the incoming administration will have to address the possibility of an increase in the fare.
To improve road culture
- Respect traffic regulations: Both motorcyclists and motorists must follow traffic signs, speed limits and respect designated spaces.
- Circulate in the center of the lane: Motorcyclists should avoid weaving between cars and stay in the center of the lane to be more visible and avoid accidents.
- Proper use of helmets and protective equipment: It is vital that motorcyclists wear helmets and the appropriate equipment to protect themselves in case of accidents, in addition to respecting the limit of passengers per vehicle.
- Avoid blind spots: Motorcyclists should avoid riding near the blind spots of cars and trucks, while drivers should watch their mirrors and turns.
- Promote road awareness campaigns: Authorities must promote educational programs and campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of safe coexistence on the roads.
- Maintain a safe distance: Motorists and motorcyclists must respect a safe distance between vehicles, to have time to react to any eventuality.
- Promote road courtesy: Patience and mutual respect are essential to avoid conflicts and accidents on busy avenues.
CT