Photo by Keith Bacongco

Motorcycles and scooters are a common mode of transportation in Honduras, and typically carry more than one person – often way more. On a trip through the country a few years ago, I saw entire families packed onto the backs of dirt bikes careening through Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and the country roads in between. And while cars certainly make up the majority of the traffic on the clogged urban streets of the big cities in Honduras, motorcycles are – as in many developing countries – a major ingredient of road traffic.

Banning multiple riders on motorcycles seems to hit the lower-income segment of the population hard. These are people who likely rely on the motorcycle or dirt bike as the sole vehicle for their entire family. Not allowing them to couple trips will likely put a strain on families’ abilities to get where and what they need. While preventing drive-by murders is a noble goal, it seems that this ban on motorcycle passengers will be more effective at preventing regular people from getting around.

Excerpts from article by Nate Berg: Honduran Commuters Hurt by Rule to Prevent Drive-By Shootings