Evaluating Acceptance of a More Strict Plate Control Policy among Motorcycle Riders in Tehran

Dramatic growth in motorcycle usage coupled with the riders’ high-risk driving behavior calls for a reform in motorcycle monitoring schemes in developing countries. In Tehran, Iran, about one million motorcycle license plates are registered in the city, of which more than 35% are unreadable, proving the existing monitoring schemes fall short in regulating motorcycle operations. A More Strict Plate Control (MSPC) is proposed to address the issue. While there is no question about the necessity of this policy, Tehran policymakers are concerned about the acceptance level of this policy. This study investigates its acceptance among motorcyclists, the major potential opponent population, in Tehran. To this end, 400 riders have been surveyed. Data analysis shows that subjective factors, such as driving behavior and attitudes, highly impact acceptance. Also, aggressive riders are more likely to disagree with the policy, but most of the motorcyclists did not disagree with a More Strict Plate Control (MSPC) Policy.