VANCOUVER - As gas prices have jumped dramatically since 2000, so has the number of people riding motorcycles and scooters. Between 2000 and 2007 ICBC has recorded a 78 per cent increase in the numbers of people insuring themselves to ride two-wheeled vehicles.
In 2000 gas cost about 60 cents a litre, but with gas prices now heading to $1.30 a litre, more commuters are parking their cars and wheeling out scooters. And the most popular vehicle is the 49 cc scooter, which can be ridden by anyone with a B.C. driver's licence without having to qualify for a Class 6 motorcycle licence."We must have sold 400 in the last year," Carter Honda assistant sales manager Andy Pitts said of the company's Jazz scooter. "Five years ago we'd have sold about half of those.
"It's definitely related to the price of gas. We find people park the car in the summer and take the scooter to work or for running errands around the city. When you take in the price of gas and the cost of insurance - the scooter pays for itself. You'll spend $5 a week on gas instead of $50." The Jazz retails for about $2,000. It won't go faster than 60 kilometres an hour and is designed for city use only.Sales of the larger scooters and motorcycles are also strong, he said, but people buying those machines weren't necessarily doing so to escape big gas bills.
"The 250 and 600 cc scooters and the 750 cruiser motorcycles are still a lot more economical than driving a car, but once you get into the sport bikes it's not so good," Pitts said.
ICBC official Kathy Taylor said there was no licence required for riding an electrical-assisted bicycle although one could only be operated on the road by a person 16 or older who must wear a helmet.
The following are the numbers of people who have taken out Motorbike insurance to ride two-wheeled vehicles in B.C.
* 2000, 45,000
* 2001, 49,000
* 2002, 51,000
* 2003, 55,000
* 2004, 60,000
* 2005, 65,000
* 2006, 74,000
* 2007, 80,000
Reem Pirbhai and husband Ali recently opened a Vespa dealership on Clark Drive, selling the Italian-made scooters made famous in the 1960s.
