Recent figures have been released by the DVLA which have shown that the number of scooters being registered has increased by over 10 percent during the last year. It is expected that this growth was because of the increasing rise of transport costs in the UK. Scooters are much more fuel-efficient vehicles and offer a cheaper way to get around than cars or even public transport.
There was an even larger rise in the number of small motorcycles registered, with around a 20 percent increase last year. A major manufacturer of scooters, Peugeot, has said that in 2011 there was nearly a 50 percent increase in scooter sales across the UK and this figure was greatest in London. Honda, who make small motorcycles, have also seen a significant sales increase on previous years figures.
While the number of small and efficient two wheeled vehicles has increased, the sales of larger motorbikes have decreased significantly, with some motorcycle sellers reporting sales drops of nearly 10 percent.
Gary Thomas from Scootering magazine has commented, “It is clear that these figures are due to the increased cost of travel. We expect that many of these sales are from people who are trading in one of their cars for a more efficient vehicle. Families which had two cars previously are now going to have one car and a scooter for one of the parents which they will ride into work.”
A representative from Peugeot has stated, “Scooters are around twice as efficient as a car so you can halve your motoring costs by driving one. They are also cheaper to park and this is another way that buyers can save money.” It is not just the price of parking that is a problem, and many stations do not have adequate spaces, having a scooter can alleviate this problem.
