Rumor has it that once upon a time a high-ranking official in Yangon was hit by a motorcycle and subsequently outlawed them. Another rumor contends that in a fit of paranoia regarding the ease of attack on caravans via motorcycles, the government outlawed them. Which ever, if any, is true- one thing is for sure, there are no motorcycles in Yangon.
This may not seem so weird in the US where there are so few motorcycles anyway (possibly owing to our climate and relative wealth). But elsewhere in the developing world, motorcycles are ubiquitous.
I love a motorcycle free city! The pollution seems noticeably less, I don't have to contend with motorcycle taxis for transit (scary!), I don't have to see accidents nearly every day, and it feels safer to cross the street when people aren't zipping between lanes and around vehicles. I could get used to this lovely, if weird, policy.
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