KARACHI: An assembler on Tuesday announced an increase of prices of 70-125cc motorcycles by Rs3,000 with effect from November 8.

Memon Motor Private Limited (MMPL), the assembler of two- and three-wheelers with the brand name Super Star, attributed the price hike to rising prices of aluminum sheet metal, plastic and other parts.

Earlier, Atlas Honda Limited had increased motorcycle prices by Rs4,000-6,000 with effect from November 1. The demand for two-wheelers has been increasing across the country due to rising petrol prices and ineffective public transport system.

Amid an absence of checks and balances from the government, bike assemblers continue to push up prices on exchange rate parity despite achieving over 94 per cent localisation in parts.

According to the figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the import bill of completely and semi-knocked down kits for the assembly of two-wheelers swelled by 69 per cent to $18 million in the first quarter of FY22 from $11m in the same period last fiscal year.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2021