As the UK’s #1 platform for motorcycle training, RideTo has seen a large increase in the number of people learning to ride in the last 18 months. This is particularly evident in the major cities and surrounding areas as people are turning their back on public transport in favour of life on two wheels. So, why the big rush?
One of the main advantages of riding is it enables you to get from point A to point B quickly and is a lot more affordable than travelling by car, particularly in a large metropolitan city.
A recent research study from Oxford Economics laid out a scenario where 5% of the current car commuters across Europe (that’s 5.3 million people) switched to a motorcycle for their journey. The results indicated a combined 21.2 million days of time savings per year. Financially that equated to approximately €3.3bn of net worth to these 5 million commuters. Getting on two wheels can cost as little as £140 and can be completed in one day of CBT training. As the old adage goes, time is money.
What about public transport, doesn’t that solve this problem? Mass transit is more efficient than individual travel surely? Well, yes it is, though there are several caveats to consider. If you travel on public transport, particularly in London you can testify to the level of overcrowding, especially at peak commuter times.
A House of Commons Transport Committee paper highlighted that ‘travelling conditions can directly affect businesses. In that same paper the Corporation of London stated “Up to a third of a million commuters come to work in the City each day and around 91% of them travel by rail, underground or bus. This compares with 80% for central London, 42% for inner London and 18% for outer London. Notably, the figure for the rest of the country is 14%, which shows how much more London relies on its public transport services.”
Of course, it has been the Covid-19 pandemic that has possibly made the biggest impact on how commuters are travelling. A much larger proportion of London’s workforce has switched to working from home, at least for some period of their working schedule. The number of people commuting has therefore dropped, but with the fear of contagion, a large percentage of those commuters have switched to alternative travel methods. Motorcycle and scooter sales have increased throughout 2020, particularly from September 2020 onwards when the first lockdown ended, and these sales continue to grow.
“With the recent pandemic, it’s clear more and more people have had a chance to reassess their working lives. We’ve been pleased to see an increase in the numbers of commuters realising that their journey to work on a motorcycle is not only cost-effective and efficient but also a lot more fun than sitting on a crowded train each morning.” James Beddows, founder of RideTo goes on to say “add to this, Electric scooter sales have shown to be on the up through 2020. Showing that riding to work can be an affordable and eco-friendly alternative to public transport.”
Getting a motorbike licence is easy. If you want to ride a machine up to 125cc, then you need to complete a Compulsory Basic Training course, or ‘CBT’ for short. This is a one day course that ensures you have full and proper control of the motorcycle and includes at least 2 hours of riding on the road with an instructor. RideTo is one of the UK’s leading motorcycle training providers and offers multiple sites for motorcycle training in London and across the country.
So after just one day of motorbike training and an investment in some riding kit you are ready to commute. Not only will you save time and money you will also avoid overcrowded public transport and the health risk that it may currently bring. You may decide that commuting is just not enough, take further motorbike training and find yourself riding to the coast at the weekend, or maybe even far-flung corners of the globe. It’s not just a card, the world really could be your oyster!
About RideTo: Starting out in 2017, RideTo quickly became the go-to platform for motorcycle training. Born out of frustration from the lack of ease and clarity in the industry, founder James Beddows decided to do something about it and make it easier and safer for people to get on two wheels. Fast forward to 2021 and RideTo now trains over 20,000 people a year and with the launch of their recent “New Rider” Journal are quickly becoming the ‘go to’ platform for new rider
ACEM.EU – https://acem.eu/new-research-highlights-the-economic-and-mobility-benefits-of-two-wheelers-in-europe
Parliament.uk
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmtran/201/201.pdf
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