Campaign, crackdown, updates on traffic enforcement (scooters)

[Lao Jia Hou]

Tx PeteZ. Primary reason for departure is the same as everyone else's ... Beijing's air pollution. I can't take it any more. And like plates/traffic/etc., I personally don't see any serious efforts being made to deal with it.

I don't know where to, yet ... maybe a beach side home in some warm, SE Asia country might be better.

Give me a year, or two, and I'll probably have another dozen bikes, somewhere, and extra rooms for MCM visitors.

[PeteZ]

That reminds me of another question that I've always wanted to ask you - how are you registering all of your bikes in BJ? Are they all Jing Bs registered under your name? I had to register mine under my gf's name as the dealer said foreigners were only allowed to have Jing As registered in their name.

[SabineHartmann]

+1
When I follow all his posts, there must be roughly 30 bikes in his name. Here, down south in Suzhou, is: one bike, one owner, one passport, one driving license....... nothing else

[Jonsims]

Carry a spare key??????????????

On 11/28, around 11pm I spotted at least three ad hoc police checkpoints set up at the following intersections in BJ:

*ChangAn and Dongdaqiao
*GuangHuaLu and Dongdaqiao
*RitanBei Lu and Dongdaqiao

At the second one, I spotted three cops wait for two scooters heading southbound on Dongdaqiao. Once they got close, the three of them ran out into traffic and stopped the two scooters by surrounding them and pulling out the keys. Both were wearing helmets and did not appear (from my distance) to be obvious offenders who ruin it for others. But I do not know what happened prior to what I saw (perhaps they evaded a prior stop).

Anyway, wondering if some renewed enforcement program is underway.

[Lao Jia Hou]

That reminds me of another question that I've always wanted to ask you - how are you registering all of your bikes in BJ? Are they all Jing Bs registered under your name? I had to register mine under my gf's name as the dealer said foreigners were only allowed to have Jing As registered in their name.

Most of my personal bikes are 京A plates, registered in my name. I have a few 京B plates that are company registered. I`ve heard that story about foreigners not being able to register 京B plates in their name. I think what has happened is the overwhelming majority of foreigners live within one of the six major districts of Beijing ... and the `rule`is that if your residency registration is within one of those six districts, regardless of whether you`re Chinese or a foreigner, you must acquire a 京A plate. I think, therefore, that foreigners MIGHT be able to get a 京B registration, but I am not 100% sure because I don`t have a residence outside the six districts.

A year or two ago, I purchased a Honda 150RR (very nice little bike) from a foreigner leaving China. It was 京B plated, and registered in the foreign seller`s name. He lived outside the six districts. But he was also the CEO of a major foreign company and undoubtedly had some guanxi, so perhaps that is how he did it. I don't know.

As a side note, I sold one of my A-plated bikes last night, for a price that included the 京A plate being valued at around 70,000 rmb. The buyer that came by saw my other A-plated bikes and he wanted to buy every one! Amazing. I think he was probably a dealer or an agent, but I am not sure. He was obviously quite confident that 京A plate prices are going to continue rising, or maybe he knows some inside scoop about a new policy.

[bikerdoc]

...As a side note, I sold one of my A-plated bikes last night, for a price that included the 京A plate being valued at around 70,000 rmb. The buyer that came by saw my other A-plated bikes and he wanted to buy every one! Amazing. I think he was probably a dealer or an agent, but I am not sure. He was obviously quite confident that 京A plate prices are going to continue rising, or maybe he knows some inside scoop about a new policy.

LJH, wouldn't that assist you with your exit strategy? I know it would definitely go a long way to helping mine... yes, exit strategy also in play (TBA).

[Lao Jia Hou]

LJH, wouldn't that assist you with your exit strategy? I know it would definitely go a long way to helping mine... yes, exit strategy also in play (TBA).

Wow, another one bites the dust! Yeah, there gets to be a point where the "quaint charm" of China wears off, and day-to-day life becomes tough.

I'll probably keep 1 or 2 bikes in Beijing, as I also own some properties here and will likely hang on to one (sell the others). Be good to have my own bike when visiting Beijing friends in the Fall.

I've been following Chinese forums, and people are claiming that it is very difficult to get a 京A plate right now. There MUST be something going on behind the scenes about a new policy, but I have no idea what it might be and no one will tell me anything. I have zero inside information, and everything seems hush-hush. The agent I often use is buying plates like crazy, but he has stopped selling them, except to his best dealer-customers. He seems to be warehousing them. I've heard that a couple of dealers are also directly warehousing A plates.

THAT seems to be the cause of a lot of concerns re riding legally. Aside from the issue of price, people are saying "Damn, I can't even GET a plate. Why bother paying 2-3 times the price for a legal bike, over an illegal bike, when I can't even plate it, despite the very high A-plate prices?" Frankly, that is a valid argument.

I was shocked when I received NUMEROUS calls for the bike I sold last night, literally within minutes of placing the ad (in the morning). The guy that bought it called FIVE times, during the day, ensuring that I still had the bike. He was becomming such a PITA, I almost got to the point where I wasn't going to sell it to him.

Maybe there is going to be a massive campaign/crackdown in the new year? Pure speculation, on my part - nobody is telling me anything. But there feels to be something in the air (besides pollution).

[ZMC888]

There MUST be something going on behind the scenes about a new policy

Sounds like, that's it then. No issuing of new plates in central Beijing for motorcycle and possibly for cars too. Therefor all new registrations will be old numbers re-registered. I imagne a crackdown on central area illegal vehicles and non local plates will be included.

[998S]

... yes, exit strategy also in play (TBA).

Is there any "China long termer" NOT arranging his exit strategy?
I hardly know anyone who is not arranging this .... kind of frightening ...

[Lao Jia Hou]

Sounds like, that's it then. No issuing of new plates in central Beijing for motorcycle and possibly for cars too. Therefor all new registrations will be old numbers re-registered. I imagne a crackdown on central area illegal vehicles and non local plates will be included.

Logical assumption. The problem is, however, that this is how it already works inside Beijing (no new 京A plates are being issued, and old plates are re-registered).

I guess we'll just have to wait & see what happens, if anything. Over on Motorfans, some people are saying that rumors are starting in an attempt to drive down A plate prices. Of course, those same people start their own rumors to try and drive prices up. Sort of like the Chinese stock markets.

I noticed that Tianjin has just implemented a Beijing-style lottery system for car plates. Anyone ever heard the expression "monkey see, monkey do"?