Demand for scooters trebles as Brits look to avoid public transport

As coronavirus lockdown measures lift, commuters in the UK are shunning public transport in favor of personal options like sit-on scooters and mopeds.

According to figures from online vehicle marketplace, AutoTrader, inquiries for mopeds and scooters in the first week of June were three times what they were over the same period last year. In the last week of May, inquiries were already double what they were a year earlier.

Advert views for mopeds were up by 32% year-on-year in the last week of May, and up 48% for the first week of June, The Guardian reports.

[Read: Lotus to make one last gasoline car before pivoting entirely to electric drivetrains]

As of today, the UK is mandating that all public transport passengers wear face masks to help mitigate further spread of coronavirus.

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Some workers unions have been critical of the UK’s push to get people using public transport again.

Rail workers union representatives have said this shouldn’t be a call to get everyone back on public transport. Rather it should be seen as a further measure to support and protect key workers that have no other option but to travel on public transport, Sky News reports.

It seems many Brits are taking heed and are keen to forego public transport entirely. These figures about scooters and mopeds showed that many are thinking of getting one. We’ll have to wait and see in months to come whether owner numbers increase.

Sit-on scooters are a useful option for commuting as they’re relatively low-cost, easy to park, and useful if you have a commute that’s a bit too far to cycle.