Two-cylinder delivery
Published:Sunday | January 22, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Scooters used as part of LPG business
Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer
Save for upscale 'maxiscooters', pioneered by Suzuki in 1999 with the Burgman 400, the Yamaha 500 T-Max in 2000 and Honda's Silver Wing 600 in 2002, the scooter operates on a single cylinder engine. However, from a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution base off Gordon Town Road, St Andrew, two cylinders and scooters come together in an unusual way.
Scooters are used to deliver cylinders to customers as far as Irish Town and Violet Bank in rural St Andrew, and Barbican to Half-Way Tree in the city. Typically the riders carry two cylinders at a time, balancing them on the platform between the scooter's seat and steering column.
Garfield Gayle, who runs the outlet, said that the scooters have been used since 2006, after the business started out with a van. Then he did deliveries alone, but as it grew that was not enough to handle the demand. "We used to run a grocery beside it and deliver gas in the community. The business a grow, people find them can get them gas. We did it; people like it," Gayle said. Plus, he said, "youth deh ya a say give me some of the work".
The idea of using scooters was adapted from people who do it in inner-city communities. At first motorcycles were considered, "but we would have to build seating. The scooter have the space".
Sunday-to-Sunday operation
After starting scooter deliveries, in tandem with the van, in June 2006 one scooter was used to the end of the year. However, Gayle said, "it grow so fast" that by the following year another scooter was acquired. Now three scooters are used for the double cylinder gas delivery, a Sunday-to-Sunday operation.
It is an in-demand service, as Gayle fielded a number of calls from persons wanting cylinder deliveries in between talking to Automotives. One rider, dubbed Country, rides in and does light maintenance on the scooter before hitting the road again with two full cylinders. It is also a community-rooted business; Gayle indicates at least two passers-by who were once doing scooter deliveries but have now gone on to other pursuits.
Gayle describes a delivery system that utilises the van and scooters, deployment depending on the workload and locations where the cylinders are required. And he knows the terrain; to one call he says "74? Dung inna de lane?" It is and, delivery time given, he hangs up, ready to send out one more two-cylinder scooter delivery.