A THREE-month trial analysing the benefits of commuting by scooter has ended with an unexpected outcome.

Four out of five employees at a national accounting firm who agreed to ride to work for the trial have chosen to purchase their scooters.

A combination of cost savings, decreased stress levels and improved productivity led to the decision for the four employees at BDO Stoy Hayward, who each trialled a Piaggio Liberty scooter.

The employees kept diaries of their experiences for the ‘control your commute’ study. Saving £20 a week in fuel by switching to scooters, a London-based fleet of 100 drivers could save up to £100,000 a year.

The participants work performance was monitored by their senior managers throughout the trial. All reported an increase in productivity.

Kevin Ayles, HR operations manager at BDO Stoy Hayward, said: ‘For someone with a hectic schedule, unpredictable journeys are both annoying and demoralising. Having removed the lengthy delays, one participant found that the scooter boosted her punctuality by 20%.

‘A bad trip to work can affect how you start your day, how it continues and also levels of concentration. The noticeable benefits suggest that other employers could benefit from investing in scooters for their employees.’

One of the participants in the study claimed that using the scooter improved his productivity.

Andrew Caldwell, participant and partner at BDO Stoy Hayward, said: ‘As soon as I started commuting on the scooter, it became clear very quickly that I could rely on the journey lasting the same amount of time, every day.

‘Not only has this put me back in control of my commute but I now feel much fresher and ready for work, which is good for both my productivity and the productivity of my team.’

Flexibility was one of the main reasons Caldwell decided to purchase his scooter after the trial. Being able to arrive at meetings on time, and knowing the almost exact time a journey would take was a distinct advantage.

Unpredictable weather conditions and other more dangerous drivers were not enough to put him off.

He said: ‘Riding in poor weather is not a problem as water-proofs are more than adequate and you don’t actually get that wet. There are dangers but if you are a good driver you use the same skills, you just need to be a little more aware. Other cars do not seem to be the problem, it is other riders cutting up the inside of lanes that you have to be aware of.’