[Pkumarblore]

Hello, I agree with fellow BHPian akhil_007. I see that your location is Chennai and it could be even worse during hot & rainy days. 28 kms everyday is a long 2 wheeler ride for a 6 year old girl. The school bus seems to be a safe bet. Its safe and the environment is good for her.
Take care.

[RedRaider]

1. 14 kms. one way is a long drive for a young pillion. Your daughter will begin to feel drowsy, both in the morning and in the evening / afternoon.

So, a harness / safety belt is an absolute must.

2. What are the school timings ? Think about these and the amount of time she will be spending in the unrelenting heat of Chennai. Twice the time for yourself.

3. I would suggest to you to try out the bus option. You can accompany your daughter to and fro in the school bus if the authorities allow. Or follow the school bus for a few days till you are confident about her. Six year kids really have no issues going by bus, especially if there are kids of their own age also in the school bus. In fact, she might enjoy the bus rides much more than riding pillion.

[Livnletcarsliv]

I strongly recommend you AGAINST buying a NEW 2 wheeler for your ad-hoc requirement.
Some of my comments as follows

1. The 2 wheeler EV market is not as scary or bad as you think or perceive. These fire related incidents are not from any main stream 2 wheeler companies like Hero. TVS, Bajaj and even Ather which is an exception here since it is new born. You will not regret buying a EV from any of these brands. I would suggest you look at Hero and TVS.

2. Regarding your usage, as suggested by many, it is not a good option for your 6 year old daughter. She is old enough to travel in a school bus. The actual fatigue of the Chennai weather and traffic from this 14km ride twice a day is definitely neither advisable nor safe for you child. It will take a toll on her.

3. Monsoons will start soon. Again you will have to go back to your car routine.

4. In summers, especially in the months of March, April, May, June, Chennai is too hot even for elders/adults like us to go around in 2 wheeler let alone kids. That too for 28 kms everyday. So again 2 wheeler is ruled out for your purpose.

So only 2 options - either opt for school bus or shift your house nearby.
If you are able to spend at least another 1L for a new scooter + additional fuel expenses for the round trip + maintenance cost of the 2 wheeler, why not spend the same on additional rental purpose for everyones peace of mind and your daughters happy childhood.

[eyedocgb]

As a father of twin 6 year olds, I would suggest the safest option as the school bus as your daughter would be too tired ,not to mention exposed to dust , trafffic ,weather conditions for the 14km commute.
We too faced the same dilemma as kids school is almost 12km away.
School buses usually have a teacher and a helper and elder children are usually very protective about small kids. Recently our kids school bus was delayed for more than 3 hours due to political /VVIP visits - while we were worried to death, GPS tracking and constant updates from school/teachers on bus and protective elder children ensured kids had a party on the bus.
Please try to talk with parents whose children share the same bus stop about their experience or you may try car-pooling.
Thanks

[srinath34]

Voted for Suzuki Access 125 as my dad rides one and has been trouble free for the last 4 years although run just 6500 kms. Very spacious seating and can accommodate 3 on that large seat. Underseat storage is also good. The new one (with Fi) come with some nifty features too.

Also think the Jupiter 125 is a good product. Haven't ridden to put my comments here.

Somehow cannot connect with Ntorq, RayZR, Aerox, Avenis being family friendly as they are a bit on the sporty side.

My opinion is to look for a sparingly used Access (BS4/6) if you really need one but 56 kms everyday is somewhat tiresome on a scooter.

[sathyasuri]

Originally Posted by RaghavEvoX

...

I already have a bike (CBR250) and I somehow feel scooters are more comfortable than a bike.
...
Attachment 2314736

You mean scooters are easier to ride? Then yes. But if you meant comfort then I think bikes are much better. I had a Gixxer, which by no means is a very comfortable bike, but it is still better than a scooter (I have an Access125) over long distances.

Getting back to the topic, I would rate Access 125 to be better than Jupiter/Activa as I have used all these scooters previously and in comparison Access 125 has the best ride quality.
Other reasons being:
Access has the longest seat.
It has a better seating geometry for pillions, it has a relaxed seating posture while with Activa/Jupiter you get to sit a bit knees up. This is mainly because of the distance between the seat and the foot pegs.
The engine is eager upto 60 kmph, handling is quite neutral and brakes are adequate.
Overall, a very good family scooter package.

[DheerajNK]

I would suggest you send your daughter by the school bus which is much more safer option than the scooter. Not only safe, it will be less tiring as well for the kid of her age. I am an over protective father myself & my son who is 3.9 years started going to school by school bus last week (11 Kms one-way). I understand your feelings, it is very difficult to see them going outside of your eyesight on their own

He is not liking the school as of now (of course he doesn't know how to mingle with other kids, thanks to Covid) and cries before boarding the bus in the morning but the school sends two ladies in the bus to help the kids and they don't move the bus until the kids are buckled on the seat belts.

In my view, this is a much more safer option compared to the 2 wheeler and I think eventually he will make some friends in the bus and starts to enjoy the ride. While returning back he gets to take a small nap as well. My friend and I planned to take turns & drop the kids to school by car (his daughter is of the same age & is also in the same school) but decided against it as the amount of time we would end up spending in 2 round trips is not reasonable. I know instead of answering your question, I have written about everything else but I could relate to your dilemma, hence sharing my thoughts

[darkfantasy]

Like many BHPians already suggested taking your kid in a scooter should be a strict no. The heat, the dust, and the danger the road presents are many, and frankly - if you can afford it just continue to drop on the car.

If mileage is a problem and you are convinced that you certainly need a scooter then why not consider a second car - something like the new Celerio, which would give 20+ mileage inside the city itself?. Many of the scooters you've listed would give mileage only in the 35 - 40 range.

Also, 60+ km will be extremely tiring for you each day - I don't think you will be able to continue this for any length of time now since offices are opening again. So my opinion would be to continue using your car or get something like Celerio.

[AutoDowntowner]

I own Activa125 since 19 months & I use it everyday. I have got maximum FE of 62kmpl when ridden in Eco mode for 170km in city. In normal riding conditions I easily get 50kmpl. These numbers are from Full Tank method & refilling was done on the same fuel pump. I always prefer the fuel pump having Free Air facility which seems to be more accurate than the road side shops.
Only negative point I feel is handling. Sometimes turning becomes too heavy. I don't know why. I haven't discussed this issue with Service center yet.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by RaghavEvoX

No, I am not using the school bus as I feel she is still young (6 years) to go alone. May be after a year or 2, I will think about it.

Its absolutely natural to feel like this.

At some point in time , you will need to leave your daughter alone to go by school bus. 6 years IMO is not too small. I have a 7 year old daughter and i will be sending her by school bus soon.

If you are uncomfortable, go along with the bus for initial days till you are confident things are fine. These days school bus security is a serious matter and she should be fine.

The major issue for you is the time it takes for school bus to pickup/drop her since you are 14 kms away.

Dropping her and picking her up using a 2 wheeler is absolutely not a solution in my view.

[RaghavEvoX]

Thank you everyone for your comments, valuable suggestions and concerns.

I made my wife also read all the comments and this is what we have decided on the school travel part.

• I am going to drop by car in the morning.
• Evening return will be in school bus.
• Based on my daughter's comfort levels, we'll decide if she can take morning bus also (she has to start 30 minutes before for that, so for now continuing with car drop at least for few months).
• In long term, we are planning to move near the school (As of now, a 3BHK with car parking doesn't come less than 50-60k per month near that area).
  Either the rent should decrease (impossible) or my salary should increase (possible in few years) for me to move near the school.

And coming to the actual reason why I created this post.
Yes, I plan to buy a scooter even if there is no school drop.

I find it really difficult to get a parking space in many places.
Be it restaurants, grocery shops, even in beaches these days.
So a scooter will make my life a bit easier.

After this post, I went to all the showrooms for a test drive and this is what I have decided.



Access 125 & Jupiter 125 both have a waiting period of a month.
And I will book one among these 2. And my fellow BHPians voting also gives a similar opinion.

Should thank everyone again and your comments were really helpful in me coming to a decision.

[RaghavEvoX]

Originally Posted by anivy

What are the school bus charges in Chennai charge for a distance of 14 kms? Also, are the school bus operations run by the school or outsourced?

It's run by the school and they charge 2500 per month.

Originally Posted by silverado

Its absolutely natural to feel like this.

At some point in time , you will need to leave your daughter alone to go by school bus.

May be she is ready for it but I am not

Till date I never understood why my wife's parents cried when we got married and she had to leave. Thought it's a formality.
But I think today I Understand.

(Sorry to go off-topic )

[iamahunter]

My 6 year old is very comfortable on my CBR sitting behind with a helmet. However with either a bike/scooter you will have to be careful while driving.

I am currently using my CBR to drop my kid to school, however its just 1 km away.

If you're thinking about getting a new scooter and if its only for the school duties, let me break the cost for you.


I have considered the practical mileage of a scooter. I have never got above 32 kmpl on the activa.

Safety wise a scooter and a bike are on same level. Comfort wise, I personally feel the bike is better than the wider rear seat on the scooter. I have assumed that its only you who will be going to pick and drop your kid and no one accompanying you.

I personally had got an activa for my mother around the same time my daughter's school started. I did use it for a while and really liked it, quick and easy to go to nearby places. However one day I took it to my in-laws, around 17 kms away from my house, the entire perception about the scooter changed. We just wanted to give it up in the middle of the ride.

[Gansan]

^^ If those fuel costs are to be halved, one has to look at a 100 - 125 cc geared motorbike. May be even a 150cc bike. If one wants riding comfort as compared to a scooter, and a 60+ kmpl FE.

[warp_10]

Thanks for the post. I see a lot of comments with suggestions and a lot questioning the intent and path taken.

To begin with, I am exactly in the same boat and can totally relate. My house is 11kms from the school and I am a protective parent of a young child. I am taking the same pickup and drop path, not going school bus route.

Yes, I am protective and the kid might need to be a year or two more older before they go school bus route. Also, given the covid situations, this is the first time they are going to a school setting in big campus, I am okie with doing this for their first year or two. On top of it, in Bangalore, the school bus takes off 15-20 mins after the school leaves, it takes north of 1hr given the stops and the size of vehicle, while a pick up cuts it down to 20 - 25 mins (just an added bonus).

My kid wanted me to get a bike and was excited to sit in front though. Why wont they be . I had not considered scooter in my solutions, since I feel 10+km in it is risky. Rather I am looking at a used e20, which has an investment of about 4lakhs and brings down running cost to negligible. Also parking e20 is extremely easy. My neighbour went that route and they have had the used e20 for 3 years now and it worked a pretty decent option for them.

My other option I am considering is to move closer to the school till they get adjusted.