London's £65 motorcycle taxi service

London commuters accustomed to crawling through rush-hour traffic have another option for getting across the capital — travelling as a passenger on the back of a motorcycle. But with one 20-minute journey reportedly costing around £65, speed comes at a considerable price.

London's congested roads have produced countless alternatives to the traditional commute.

There are buses, the Underground, trains, bicycles, black cabs, pre-booked private hire vehicles and, for those prepared for something rather different, chauffeur-driven motorcycles.

A motorcycle passenger service operating in London offers customers the opportunity to travel across the capital on the back of a professionally ridden motorbike, potentially avoiding much of the congestion that can leave cars, taxis and buses moving slowly during peak periods.

A first-hand test of the service published in February 2024 found that a journey to work costing around £65 took approximately 20 minutes.

It certainly isn't intended to compete with a London bus on price.

Instead, the attraction is time.

The concept is relatively straightforward.

Rather than booking a conventional car with a driver, the passenger books a motorcycle with a professional rider.

The customer travels as a pillion passenger while the rider navigates London's streets.

Motorcycles have a considerable advantage when traffic becomes heavily congested because their smaller size allows them to make progress where conventional vehicles may become trapped in queues.

For a passenger facing an important meeting, television appearance, flight connection or other time-sensitive appointment, saving half an hour or more could potentially matter more than the price of the journey.

That puts the service in a very different category from everyday public transport.

The experience highlighted just how dramatically two journeys across the same city can differ.

Instead of waiting for public transport and spending a lengthy period travelling through London traffic, the passenger was provided with motorcycle equipment before setting off behind an experienced rider.

The resulting journey reportedly took only around 20 minutes.

At approximately £65, however, it was considerably more expensive than travelling by bus or Underground.

The experience was described as making the passenger feel rather like a celebrity arriving at an event — illustrating that part of the attraction is the experience itself.

For most Londoners, spending £65 twice every working day would clearly be impractical.

But that is not really the market such a service is trying to capture.

Motorcycle passenger services have traditionally appealed to customers for whom being late can be particularly expensive or disruptive.

That can include executives, broadcasters, performers and other professionals working to strict schedules.

Media personalities including Roman Kemp and Kate Garraway were among the names associated with using the service in the original report.

The reason is understandable.

London traffic can be unpredictable.

A journey that takes 25 minutes in relatively clear conditions might take considerably longer during rush hour, after an accident, during roadworks or when major events affect traffic in central London.

A car cannot simply drive through a queue.

A motorcycle has considerably more flexibility.

Anyone who regularly drives professionally in London will recognise the problem.

The capital has an extensive road network, but demand for limited road space is enormous.

Cars, vans, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, delivery vehicles and cyclists all compete for space, while roadworks, junction restrictions and temporary closures can further reduce capacity.

Research published around the same period also highlighted dissatisfaction among some London commuters with their journeys to work, demonstrating the wider frustration surrounding travel in the capital.

A passenger travelling by car therefore has relatively little control over journey time once traffic begins to build.

Even the most experienced professional driver cannot make stationary traffic disappear.

This is where motorcycles become interesting.

A motorcycle occupies substantially less road space than a car and can make progress through congested traffic in ways that four-wheeled vehicles cannot.

That does not mean motorcycles are immune to London's congestion.

Traffic lights, junctions, restrictions and particularly severe queues still affect journey times.

Weather is another factor.

But when central London roads become heavily congested, the difference between travelling by motorcycle and travelling by car can become significant.

For someone who absolutely must reach a destination by a particular time, that can be extremely valuable.

One obvious problem with using a motorcycle for an unexpected journey is equipment.

Most office workers do not arrive for work carrying a motorcycle helmet and protective clothing.

A professionally operated passenger service has to address this.

Customers can be provided with appropriate protective equipment for the journey, allowing someone dressed for work to use the service without already being a motorcyclist.

That makes the concept closer to a chauffeur service than simply asking a friend for a lift on a motorbike.

The rider, motorcycle, protective equipment and journey are provided as part of the experience.

It is tempting to describe the concept as an “Uber for motorbikes”, but the comparison only goes so far.

The London service highlighted in the report sits at the premium end of passenger transport rather than attempting to provide mass-market low-cost travel.

A £65 journey clearly demonstrates that distinction.

The passenger isn't simply paying for the distance travelled.

They are paying for a specialist service designed around potentially reducing journey time through one of Europe's busiest cities.

That makes the economics very different from a bus ticket, Tube fare or conventional app-based private hire journey.

For most passengers, probably not on an everyday basis.

A worker spending £65 each way would face a daily commuting bill of £130.

Over five working days, that would reach £650 a week.

The Underground, bus network and rail services therefore remain vastly more practical for everyday commuting for most Londoners.

But the calculation changes when the passenger isn't asking: “What is the cheapest way to get there?”

Instead, they may be asking: “What is the quickest realistic way of getting there right now?”

Those are two completely different transport decisions.

This distinction is important when comparing specialist passenger services with conventional taxis and private hire vehicles.

The value of a normal transfer is usually judged through a combination of distance, comfort, convenience and price.

With a motorcycle service, the ability to negotiate congested roads is arguably the central product.

Consider someone travelling to a television studio for a live broadcast.

Arriving 30 minutes late could be disastrous.

Likewise, an executive travelling to an important meeting may consider £65 relatively insignificant compared with the consequences of missing the appointment.

In those circumstances, passengers aren't necessarily paying £65 for a 20-minute motorcycle journey.

They are paying £65 for the time the motorcycle may save.

Motorcycles cannot replace conventional passenger vehicles for many journeys.

The most obvious limitation is luggage.

A family arriving at Heathrow with several large suitcases clearly cannot climb onto the back of a motorcycle.

The same applies to groups.

A conventional taxi, private hire vehicle or chauffeur car can transport several passengers and their luggage together.

A motorcycle generally carries only one passenger.

Accessibility is another consideration, while some passengers simply would not feel comfortable travelling on two wheels.

And unlike travelling inside a car, motorcycle passengers are exposed to Britain's famously unpredictable weather.

A 20-minute motorcycle journey on a dry spring morning is one experience.

The same journey in heavy winter rain is something entirely different.

Speed through congestion should not be confused with high-speed riding.

The advantage of a motorcycle in London primarily comes from its size and manoeuvrability rather than travelling at excessive speeds.

Nevertheless, travelling on a motorcycle inherently provides less physical protection than travelling inside a car.

Professional riders, appropriate helmets and protective clothing can reduce risks, but they cannot make the experience equivalent to sitting inside an enclosed vehicle.

Passengers therefore need to be comfortable with motorcycle travel before choosing this type of service.

The limitations become particularly clear when considering airport journeys.

A motorcycle could potentially be useful for an individual traveller carrying very little luggage who urgently needed to cross London.

For most airport passengers, however, conventional vehicles remain considerably more practical.

Airport travellers frequently have suitcases, cabin bags and sometimes pushchairs or other equipment.

Families may require larger vehicles, while groups need enough seats for everyone to travel together.

Long-distance airport journeys also place greater emphasis on comfort.

Travelling from central London to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted or Luton is very different from making a short 20-minute journey between two central London locations.

The motorcycle service nevertheless demonstrates something fascinating about London's transport market.

There is no single best way of travelling across the capital.

A passenger might choose the Underground because it is fast and relatively inexpensive.

Another might choose a bus because it is convenient.

Someone with luggage might book a private hire vehicle.

A passenger may hail a black cab.

Cycling can be highly effective for shorter journeys, and London has seen substantial growth in cycling compared with pre-pandemic levels.

And when time is exceptionally important, a passenger might apparently spend £65 to climb onto the back of a motorcycle.

Each solves a different problem.

It is also important not to group every form of paid passenger transport together.

London's licensed black cabs can be hailed from the street or hired from taxi ranks.

Private hire vehicles must be booked through a licensed private hire operator.

Specialist motorcycle passenger services occupy another niche altogether.

Passengers therefore choose between these options according to what matters most for a particular journey — cost, speed, luggage capacity, comfort, accessibility or convenience.

The cheapest option will not always be the fastest.

And, as this £65 motorcycle commute demonstrates, the fastest option certainly isn't always the cheapest.

For an ordinary daily commute, £65 for approximately 20 minutes of travel will be difficult for most people to justify.

As an occasional solution to a London traffic emergency, however, the proposition becomes more interesting.

Missing a flight, live broadcast, important appointment or business meeting can cost considerably more than the fare.

The first-hand experience also highlights something professional London drivers understand particularly well: distance alone tells you very little about how long a journey across London will take.

Five miles through central London at the wrong time of day can sometimes feel considerably longer than 50 miles on a clear motorway.

For the passenger who tested the motorcycle service, avoiding the usual commute was apparently enough to make the experience memorable.

Whether it is worth £65 depends largely on one question: how valuable is your time?

For passengers travelling with luggage or in groups, a pre-booked car remains a much more practical option for airport journeys.

Airports Transfer provides pre-booked private hire transfers to and from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City and Southend airports, with different vehicle sizes available according to passenger and luggage requirements.

London traffic can make journey times unpredictable, particularly during peak periods, which is why sufficient travelling time should always be allowed when heading to an airport.

A motorcycle may be able to negotiate congestion more easily, but for most airport passengers the ability to travel comfortably with suitcases, family members and other belongings makes a conventional private hire vehicle the more practical form of door-to-door transport.

Written by Airports Transfer for passengers travelling to and from London airports.