Breakdown service is back on bikes

Motorbike breakdown patrols are making a return to London to cope with soaring congestion levels.

The AA is launching a fleet of electric and petrol motorcycles in the capital this month because it says traffic speeds are now at their lowest for 40 years.

The conditions are making it almost impossible for the AA's London fleet of 500 traditional yellow vans to get to broken-down cars in time.

The breakdown organisation, which has 15 million members, estimates two-wheeled patrols will cut peak breakdown waiting times by 25 per cent, from a current average of 50 minutes in central London.

Each motorbike will be ridden by a specially trained rider and the bikes have been modified to use all available space to carry the patrol's tool-kit, spares and a beacon light.

Edmund King, AA president, said: "On London's busy roads one flat tyre can delay thousands of other motorists and further aggravate congestion. By cutting through traffic, AA bike patrols will reach breakdowns more quickly and get our members and other drivers back on the move with the minimum delay.

"We need radical action to beat the slowest traffic in London for 40 years and decided that two wheels are quicker than four.

"By fixing breakdowns more quickly we will improve service to our members and help reduce congestion and emissions."

The AA attends nearly 2,000 breakdowns in the capital every day.

Three different types of motorcycle will be used. Two will be conventional petrol models: a 600cc Honda Silverwing and a 700cc Honda Deauville. In addition, the fleet will include four Vectrix electric motorcycles with zero emissions.

It is the first time the AA has used motorbikes to reach breakdowns since the mid-Nineties. But they were a prominent feature of the breakdown service through much of the 20th century after they were introduced in 1910. Patrol vans entered service after the Second World War.

The new motorcycle patrols will be used to target "quick-fix" breakdowns, including flat batteries, wheel changes and simple electrical faults. These minor breakdowns cause more than a third of central London call-outs.

Motorcycle patrolman Stewart Topp, said: "The response from the public has been fantastic. They all seem excited to see us out and about on the bikes."

The motorbike scheme could be rolled out to other cities if it proves successful.

The AA says traffic now moves at just 10mph in central London during peak periods - the same speed as horse-drawn carriages a century ago. It says that nearly a quarter of London traffic now suffers from "very congested" conditions and that this is predicted to rise to one third of London traffic by 2025.

Congestion is now estimated to cost the London economy £1.6billion a year.

All the figures relating to traffic are compiled by the AA in conjunction with Traffic Master - a traffic information provider.