Add in some supermarket shops, B&Q visits and trips to friends and family (even just locally) and we were usually filling his tank three times per month at a cost of £200.  It was one of our biggest outgoings every month and we were looking for how to cut car costs.  This is when Ben seriously began to consider a scooter!

I’ve never had a moped or scooter, but Ben had one as a teenager and so he knew just how cheap they are to run when compared to a car.

It would have made so much more economical sense.  We didn’t need to be paying for a huge car for him alone to travel to work and back each day, especially when I had a car that could be used as a family car at weekends. 

If we’d though about this sooner then we could have saved thousands of pounds over the years in fuel costs, car maintenance, garage bills and more.

Ben has recently left his employed job to embark on a new self-employed venture and we do need to keep his car as he now carries tools, large pieces of wood and other equipment around with him.  But if he’d have stayed at his office job then I know we’d have sold the car and he’d be whizzing to work every day on a scooter.

He’d already started checking out motor scooters online in the UK from sites like Direct Bikes who have loads of options including the very cool retro inspired range which are my personal favourite!  I can’t quite imagine Ben riding around on a retro scooter, but if I were to ever buy a scooter then that would be my top choice!  They look so cool!

Scooters are also a great choice for many other countries, not just the UK.  European cities with small narrow, winding streets are perfect for a scooter.  

Why choose a scooter instead of a car?

With kids in tow I can’t choose a scooter right now, but I wish I’d had one as a youngster when I just needed to get myself about.  If you’re single or often commute alone then it’s a great choice for you.  If you’re wondering why on Earth you’d ever give up your car for a scooter, then here are 10 reasons to choose a scooter instead of a car:

1.     Cheap to buy

You can have a brand new scooter delivered to your home for under £1000!   You would never be able to buy a brand new car for anywhere near this price.  This makes a scooter an affordable option for pretty much everyone.

2.     Easy to ride

They are fully automatic so there is no clutch or gears to worry about so they’re much simpler to learn to ride than a car.  You can take a test to learn motorcycle skills and improve them.

3.     Start young

You can ride a scooter as young as age 16 in the UK with a provisional licence and L plates whereas you have to wait until age 17 to begin learning to drive and you can’t drive independently until you have your full driver’s licence.

4.     Fuel efficient

Scooters are much more fuel efficient than cars.  You will get more miles to the gallon so you can travel further on less fuel which means refuelling less and saving more money!

5.     Free and easy to park

Many council pay-and-display car parks let scooters and other motorcycles park for free!  Check the signage to make sure.  It’s also much easier to find a parking space when parking on the street as you don’t need as much space as a car.

6.     Little maintenance

Scooters are quite simple machines that don’t take a lot of maintaining to keep them in good working order, not compared to a car.  You pretty much just need to add fuel and go!

7.     Eco-friendly

By using less fuel to go the same distance, they are a much greener choice than a car.  There are even electric scooters available so you can totally use renewable and green energy to power your ride.  Buying a preloved scooter is also better for the environment in many cases - saving the environmental impact of the production and shipping of a new scooter if something suitable already exists.  

8.     Avoid congestion and charges

In many places scooters are legally allowed to skip the traffic queues by using the bus lane.  This saves on commuting time in heavy congestion.  In London, scooters are exempt from the daily congestion charge.

9.     Cheaper insurance, MOT and tax

You can compare scooter insurance to find the best price possible, just like you do with car insurance.  Motorcycle insurance can be a lot cheaper than car insurance, especially when it comes to scooters.  Scooters are usually a lot cheaper to insure.  Tax and MOT costs are also very cheap compared to most cars.

10.    They’re a lot of fun!

Whilst I’ve never had my own scooter before, I have been on one and they are a lot of fun to ride around on!

Final word

So there we go.  10 reasons including plenty of money saving reasons of why a scooter is a great choice over a car when it comes to motoring costs and more.