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Bikes become popular with office-goers

As moving around the roads in cars is becoming difficult with each passing day, there are people, mostly bachelors, who have opted for motorbikes in order to reach their workplaces and roam around in the market.

The reason is simple — motorbikes are zippy and can take on even a serious traffic situation with ease. They can get into narrow gaps and can stay always in the front.

Moreover, they are economical too. Since reaching the office on time is very necessary, people don’t want to get stuck in a traffic jam for hours together.

Companies selling bikes also acknowledge the fact that there has been a dramatic growth in the sale of bikes in the city. While the youngsters go in for costlier models, the office-goers stick to either Bajaj Pulsar or Hero Honda models.

Moreover, Dubai is soon going to see the coming of new models which would give a chance for wider selection to people.

As Robert Klugman, Manager of the Honda Enterprises in Dubai, said: “If we compare the sale of bikes this year to that of last, it is very satisfying. The market growth has been dramatic. And the reason for this is traffic. Cars take a long time to move from one end to the other in heavy traffic. But bikes are small and can pass through the traffic easily. Earlier, we had youngsters coming and asking for stylish models. But now, a lot of office-goers too are coming. It is a good and encouraging trend.”

Klugman said that at present, the bestseller bike among youngsters here was the CBX-350. “It is selling like hot cake. It looks stylish and the cost is also not very high — Dh12,000. The office-goers go for cheaper models though. We would be bringing in the Honda Unicorn soon. We hope it will click with office people. Then, two more new models are also coming in. The future looks bright,” he added.

An official dealing with the Bajaj bikes also said the same. “Yes, the market is growing and it is good. And traffic is one of the most important reasons for the same. Nowadays, not a single day passes without a person needing to wait for almost two hours to go through a 1km stretch. Bikes are the best option and now people know it,” he said.

For driving a bike, one needs to follow the same process as that of cars. “There are quite a few driving schools in Dubai who provide training in bike riding too. One has to go through the training followed by a test after which the licence is provided to the person. Even the driving schools say that the number of people coming in for learning to ride bikes has increased.

An official of the Emirates Driving Institute said: “The number of people coming in for two-wheeler licences has increased if one compares it with last year. Now, there are people who want bikes too. And needless to say, heavy traffic is the basic reason for it.”

A chat with office-goers proved that soon bikes could rule the streets of the city. “I have a car too. But then, everyday I’m late for work and have to go through a lot of embarrassment. So, I bought this bike last week. The cost is not very high. A normal bike costs anything between Dh3,000 and Dh7,000. Then, the classified sections of daily newspapers have so many second-hand bikes for sale. But I preferred a new one. Now, I use my car only to move with my family during weekends,” said K Kumar, an employee in a bank.

Manish Sinha, another bank employee opined: “Bikes are easier to move around. And in the present situation, it is the best option. The winter season is also nearing, and there would not be any problem moving around at daytime too,” he said.

• UAE