Swapping in 4 wheels for 2
With warnings of petrol prices reaching record highs and 6% ticket price hike for train travellers, recent research has found a growing number of British drivers are trading in their four wheels for two in a bid to save money on their daily commute.
Key drivers behind this movement are:
-Cost
-Speed
-Environment
This has resulted in a widespread boost in the popularity of motorcycle's and mopeds over the last 12 months, especially in London and its surrounding areas.
There are now more than 160,000 motorcycle and scooter owners in the UK's capital city. So if you lined up all the motorbike owners in Greater London they would wrap around the M25 1.7 times!
Close to 1 in 5 of Britain's 1.3million bikers are now using their motorcycles for commuting rather than pleasure. Furthermore almost 1 in 10 traded in their car for a bike as the most cost efficient form of transport.
2011 saw a 23% rise in the number of new registrations of bikes and scooters across the UK. The most apparent shift is with lower engine sizes, women, commuters and new bikers. Over 67% of newly registered vehicles had an engine size of 125cc or lower.
So to summarise why are 4 wheelers turning to 2?
Bikes are cheaper - FACT! They are exempt from congestion charges, they are cheaper to fill up with fuel and they are cheaper than your average car to tax!
Bikes are faster! They can use the majority of bus lanes in London, meaning travelling on a motorcycle or scooter can take upto 40% less time than the same journey in a car.
Bikes are greener! Not only do you half the amount you spend on fuel, but you also emit half the C02 riding a motorbike to work than you would in a car.
15.02.2012 - MCE Insurance
