My scooter is my mobility and freedom of movement
It has been more than five months since my journey with scooter began. This new companion has brought me a new sense of life, mobility, comfort and freedom of movement. It has also stirred a question in my mind: why are motorcycles so overwhelmingly popular in our country when scooters are safer and offer far greater practicality and convenience?
Back in June last year, when I first decided to invest in a two‑wheeler, I leaned preoccupiedly toward buying a motorcycle. It is a familiar choice and I already knew how to ride one. My purpose was just commuting to the office, in the town and occasionally setting out on short day trips.
Nevertheless, I have never been comfortable with following a path simply because it is well‑trodden. Blindly following the norm has never appealed to me. What serves others well may not necessarily serve me, because each of us is different and so are our lives and choices.
I did researched somewhat obsessively, watched countless review videos on YouTube, spoke to friends, spent around two months visiting showroom after showroom and weighed my options with patience and intent. With time, clarity replaced confusion. In the end, I chose a scooter, to be specific Suzuki Access 125, an unconventional and often underestimated choice here but one that felt entirely my own.
After five months of my journey with the scooter, with each ride I take, it feels like choosing scooter over motorcycle was one of the right choices I have made. In my experience, scooters are far more user-friendly, fuel efficient, practical and safer. One of the most practical advantages I would mention, particularly with this model of scooter, is its ample under-seat storage space. And in the front panel, there is glove box and a built-in hook for carrying daily needs without worry.
Conversely in the bike, there is no storage space and carrying everyday necessities on the sides often becomes a precarious exercise, with constant concern about items being struck, damaged, or torn apart in traffic. Besides, scooter’s manageable height and weight, broader seat, upright riding position and ample legroom provide more comfortable riding experience than motorcycles.
On one occasion, a friend asked me why I had chosen a scooter over a motorcycle. I told him that whether it is a bike or a scooter, both are realistically meant to carry one or two people at most. Yet riding a motorcycle demands constant engagement of both hands and both feet. That is too much effort. It is almost like driving a bus or a truck.
A scooter, on the other hand, asks for far less effort. With only the hands involved and no need to manage a clutch and gear, the ride becomes lighter. I see little sense in exerting so much physical effort and coordination in riding a motorcycle, simply to transport one or two people. He seemed to have found my answer interesting.
Unlike motorcycles, scooters tend to invite less aggressive riding which makes them inherently safer on busy roads. For daily commuting in the city, scooters stand out as one of the most practical and convenient modes of transport. The reason is simple; it is gearless hence no need to shift gears manually or hold on the clutch lever in traffic. Throttle and brakes are controlled by hand and there is no involvement of the feet.
Scooter is often perceived as less powerful and suitable only for short city commutes. It is in fact a misconception shaped more by habit than experience. I have travelled with a pillion rider across diverse and demanding terrains in Bandarban, Lama, and Alikadam. The journey was consistently smooth, and I was really surprised by the scooter’s steady power and stability as I also thought a little bit otherwise.
In today’s rapidly evolving world, mobility has become a defining element of modern life. In our major cities, scooters are seen to be increasing in number nowadays. We need to shift our mindset: bikes and scooters are not luxuries and symbol of status; they are practical necessities.
Unfortunately, a stereotype still persists in our society that scooters are ‘women’s vehicles’. Yet in many of our neighboring and regional countries—such as India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia—scooters dominate their city streets and are used by people of all genders. Perhaps it’s time for us to rethink our assumptions.
* Parvez Uddin Chowdhury is a development worker
* The views expressed here are the author's own.