WITH the global credit crunch currently squeezing finances, many people are giving up their cars and jumping on to scooters.

When you think you can ride away a new Yamaha 125 Vity scooter from Fowlers in Bristol for £999, it's not hard to see why. The benefits of switching to a twist-and-go small commuter bike are huge.

The basic price is low, so too are running costs and fuel costs – and you don't even need a motorcycle licence.

Yes, you do need a helmet, gloves and a decent jacket, but after that outlay, off you go. The question is, which bike to buy? If you go second hand, then a couple of hundred pounds will give you a scooter – but beware. With their small engines, you could be buying a bike that's exhausted.

Check the mileage to make sure it's not been clocked – on average a scooter does about 5,000 miles a year, so a simple sum in your head will tell you if the mileage is likely to be genuine.

Buying a new machine or a used bike with a guarantee from a dealership is a better bet. There are a few makes on the market and the market is growing, thanks in part to the influx of new Chinese-built machines.

The leading makes include Vespa and Gilera, Piaggio and Peugeot, and the established Japanese names of Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha. In between those are such brands as Aprilia, Derbi, Kymco and Sym.

A new scooter will set you back hundreds of pounds for a basic Pulse 50cc model, with machines such as Yamaha's XP500 TMAX about £6,000.

There are deals galore at the moment. Fowlers has a big promotion on its Honda range (visit www.fowlershonda.co.uk) and there are some tempting offers on Yamahas, too.

By buying a scooter you'll shave thousands from your travel costs, you'll help to reduce pollution and congestion and, of course, they are free to park – that's as long as people like Boris Johnson don't get their way and introduce bike parking charges.