Leave the queues behind and learn to drive a scooter

Even so, the congestion charge, crowded buses and Tubes, frequent delays and the sheer cost of getting about has led to a rise in Londoners ditching their traditional commute and taking to two wheels.

In 2008, 126,000 motorcycles, 25, 812 of which were scooters, were licensed by the Department for Transport in the London region, a 2.3 per cent rise over 2007.

Motor Cycle News (MCN), the leading motorcycling newspaper, says it has seen more than 60,000 extra people searching for bikes via its online Bikes for Sale section, compared with last year.

One Londoner who decided enough was enough is 24-year-old Felicity Callaghan from Clapham. She moved to London three years ago for work and quickly became frustrated with her Tube commute, which was costing about £100 a month.

Felicity also maintained a car and shouldered the associated costs so that she could visit friends and family outside London at weekends.

Earlier this month she joined the scooter revolution when she contacted Metropolis Motorcycles at Vauxhall to book a one-day CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) motorcycling course. "I'd never considered riding a bike until I moved to London," said Felicity, who works in marketing communications.

"But the longer I spent on Tubes and buses, the more I thought about how easy it would be to jump on a bike to get to work every day. There's nothing more frustrating than being stuck on a Tube, especially when you know there is glorious weather outside.

"I'd never ridden a bike before, so I was a little apprehensive and had images of hardcore bikers barking orders at me and telling me off when I didn't get it right.

"But my instructor Simon was the complete opposite. He was patient and thorough, taking his time to ensure I understood everything properly before we moved on."

The CBT course involves five stages: introduction, practical on-site training, practical on-site riding, practical on-road training and practical on-road riding.

It costs £120 for weekdays or £140 for Saturday or Sunday, and generally lasts three to four hours off-road and a minimum of two hours, by law, for the on-road section.

Trainees only move to the next stage when their instructor is satisfied they have learnt the theory and demonstrated practical skills to a safe basic level.

Felicity passed her test with flying colours. "I couldn't believe how easy it was," she said.

"Scooters are much easier to ride than I thought they would be, because you don't have any gears to handle. As soon as I passed I went on www.motorcyclenews.com and started looking for a new scooter."

Felicity said scootering around London is more fun, cheaper and quicker than public transport.

"My friends can't believe it and are now thinking about doing their CBTs too. I'm already thinking about getting my full bike licence and doing a tour around Europe. I've been bitten by the biker bug."

Marc Potter, the editor of MCN, says: "Two-wheeled vehicles have become highly desirable in cities and are no longer associated with hairy bikers.

"Scooters and motorcycles are comparatively cheap to buy and run; fuel costs are low, parking is often easier and sometimes free. It's quicker to get about and you avoid commuter nightmares such as Tube and bus strikes.

"Motorbikes and scooters are exempt from London's congestion charge too, but the best thing is weaving through traffic jams while motorists can only sit and glare."

Watch the video of how Felicity got on