Owners of unlicensed motorcycles are paying large amounts of money to the Burmese junta authorities for registration of their bikes. They are also paying for a spot to park their two wheelers at the place where the registration is being done.

Initially unlicensed owners of motorcycles did not have to pay such a large amount but he costs rose once the regime announced they will complete giving license -- the Ma-la-Ma license by next month.

This is a way of making money by the authorities, a broker said. 

"The bike owners had to pay about 5,000 Kyat to get a place to stand in line in front and 3,000 Kyat for a place at the back," he added.

Many residents stood in the queue to sell a place and made 7,000-8,000 Kyat a day, an eyewitness said.

The broker said that the owners have to pay extra to the Ka Nya Na department to get the token easily for registration documents.

"The Ka Nya Na staff got about 50,000 Kyat (US$ 39) per bike for each token," the broker added. About 2,000 people were listed for tokens and the authorities registered about 20 bikes a day. 

Even though, the regime said that it is going to stop giving out new license, now it is doing so in Thaton Township, which is about 36 miles from Moulmein and Chaung zone Township.

However some rural people from Thanpyuzayart and Ye Township southern Mon State have listed for registration in Thaton and Moulmein with brokers without waiting for government formalities.

"Our villagers went to register for the license in Thaton because they could not wait. When they go and register for license, they have to pay over 300,000 Kyat (US$ 236) for each bike,”a Thaungpyin villager, Lamine Sub Township told IMNA.

Zarthayin villagers in Hpa-an, Karen State also had to register in Thaton and had to pay 260,000 Kyat (US$ 205) for each bike.

The Burmese regime started registration of illegal bikes in July.