Government legislation ministry rules motorcycles excluded from compact car parking

The Ministry of Government Legislation said on July 9 that motorcycles are not included in the category of compact cars eligible for dedicated parking spaces under the Parking Lot Act. The ruling resolves a query on whether two-wheeled vehicles with engine displacements under 1,000 cubic centimeters qualify for the same parking provisions as small four-wheeled cars.

While the act defines automobiles to include motorcycles, the ministry determined that specific regulations for compact car parking spaces treat them as mutually exclusive categories, aligning with legal frameworks establishing separate management standards and zones for two-wheeled vehicles.

Including motorcycles in the compact car definition would lead to inefficient use of limited parking space. Regulations stipulate that a dedicated compact car space must be at least 1.7 meters wide and 4.5 meters long, whereas a motorcycle space requires only 1.0 meter in width and 2.3 meters in length.

The ruling also prevents inequitable outcomes regarding parking fee discounts. Current laws mandate a discount of 50 percent or more for compact cars and eco-friendly vehicles; if motorcycles were classified as compact cars based solely on engine size, those with internal combustion engines would receive discounts while electric motorcycles would remain ineligible.

Classifying all motorcycles under 1,000 cubic centimeters as compact cars would also conflict with broader automotive regulations that categorize two-wheeled vehicles by displacement into mini, small, medium, and large classes, distinct from criteria applied to four-wheeled compact cars.

The ministry advised that the Parking Lot Act should be amended to explicitly clarify whether motorcycles are excluded from the definition of compact cars to ensure clear application of rules regarding dedicated parking allocations and fee reductions.