Motor Cycles & country's economy

 

JULY 12, 2011 Tuesday Rise in Motorcycles in Taiwan Follows GDP Rise There are 600-plus motorcycles for every 1,000 people in Taiwan, compared with fewer than 100 in China and fewer than 50 in the U.S. The demand for motorcyles has been fueled by rapid economic growth: Taiwan's per-capita GDP rose from $152 (U.S.) in 1961 (when there were 32,000 motorcycles) to $14,032 in 2007 (when there were 13.9 million), say Ching-Fu Chen of National Cheng Kung University and Wen-Tai Lai of Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, both in Taiwan. The explosion in motorcycle use in Taiwan, as well as in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, has caused dramatic increases in accidents and road congestion and has hurt air quality. Source: The effects of rational and habitual factors on mode choice behaviors in a motorcycle-dependent region: Evidence from Taiwan