Two wheels good, four wheels bad, for commuters

COMMUTERS are increasingly turning to two wheels in a bid to beat escalating transport costs, new figures have shown.

More than 32,000 new motorised scooters were registered last year, according to new statistics released by the DVLA – an increase of 12 per cent over 2010 – and one-in-three new powered two wheelers sold in the UK was a scooter.

Soaring fuel prices are hitting consumers hard, whether they travel to work by bus, car or train.

Inflation is currently running at 5.2 per cent, but rail fares are due to rise by an average of 5.9 per cent this year – while bus tickets could cost up to a fifth more in many regions.

The price of petrol rocketed by 12 per cent last year, from £5.40 per gallon in November 2010 to £6 per gallon last November. Drivers of diesel vehicles were hit even harder, as prices at the pumps increased over the same period by 14 per cent to hit £6.40 per gallon.

Richard Davies, spokesman for Peugeot Scooters, said that its sales alone rose by 46 per cent in 2011.

“Without a doubt the overriding factor driving customers into the showrooms is the price of petrol and diesel,” he said.

“An average small-capacity scooter is twice as economical as a car for fuel, so you can instantly halve your motoring costs.”

Scooters, such as Vespas, have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, rising in popularity.