bikes

Gombe, Nigeria – On a weekday morning in Pantami District, Gombe, the streets fill with the familiar rush of motorcycles carrying students, workers and traders across the city. But increasingly, some pass almost silently – a subtle sign of a transport shift driven not by climate policy, but by Nigeria’s soaring fuel prices.

One pedestrian did not realise a motorcycle was behind him until the rider sounded its horn. Unlike the petrol-powered bikes that dominate Nigerian roads, the electric motorcycle moved almost noiselessly and produced no exhaust fumes.

Electric motorcycles are gradually appearing across Gombe as riders seek relief from rising fuel costs following President Bola Tinubu’s removal of Nigeria’s fuel subsidy in May 2023, forcing many to rethink how they travel and earn a living.

The bikes, which typically cost about 1 million naira (about $735), remain out of reach for many households. But those who have made the switch say the savings on fuel and maintenance are significant.

Subsidy shock

Tinubu announced the end of Nigeria’s longstanding petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, triggering a sharp increase in fuel prices across the country.

In Gombe, petrol now sells for about 1,365 naira ($1) per litre (0.26 gallons), compared with roughly 200 naira (15 cents) before the subsidy was removed. The increase has driven up transport costs and squeezed household budgets across Nigeria.

The economic pressure has coincided with growing concern about the environmental impact of the country’s ageing fleet of petrol-powered motorcycles and vehicles. According to the World Bank, road transport is a major contributor to air pollution in Nigerian cities, with vehicle emissions adding significantly to levels of harmful particulate matter.

A cheaper ride

For Ayuba Abubakar, a farmer and resident of Gombe, the switch to an electric motorcycle was prompted by a friend’s visit earlier this year.

After buying the bike, he rode from Gombe to Kumo and back and was surprised by how little battery power the journey consumed.

“I usually spend the day moving around Gombe without charging,” Ayuba told Al Jazeera. “When I travel to remote areas, I charge it.”

Ayuba said he has been using the bike for about three months and has so far avoided the mechanical problems that often come with petrol-powered motorcycles.

“My charger once burned out because I didn’t use a stabiliser,” he said. “Apart from that, I’ve had no major maintenance costs.”

He estimates that the bike has saved him about 5,000 naira ($3.7) a week in fuel expenses.

“Even with those savings, the price needs to come down for most Nigerians to afford it,” he added.

Ahmed Aminu, another rider in Gombe, told Al Jazeera that he no longer spends money on engine oil, while Yakubu Sule, who also owns an electric motorcycle, told Al Jazeera that he chose it largely because of its quiet operation.

Power constraints

Despite the enthusiasm of early adopters, unreliable electricity remains one of the biggest obstacles to wider use of electric motorcycles.

Nigeria’s electricity supply is notoriously inconsistent, and many households receive only a few hours of power each day. The challenge has become more pronounced under Nigeria’s service-based tariff system, which classifies customers into bands according to the amount of electricity they receive.

For Muhammad Abubakar, chief executive officer of Sustenaa, a clean-energy company, the problem is fundamental.

“If we end up charging these bikes with generators, then what’s the point?” Abubakar told Al Jazeera. “We will just be moving the emissions from the exhaust pipe to the generator pipe, and we are back to square one.”

He argues that solar-powered battery-swap stations are a more realistic solution than relying on riders to charge their motorcycles at home.

Abubakar also warned that Nigeria must plan for battery recycling as electric mobility expands. He called on the government to reduce import duties on electric-bike components, support battery-swap operators, establish recycling standards and integrate electric mobility into existing solar mini-grid projects.

For now, electric motorcycles remain a niche option in Gombe. But as fuel prices remain high and battery-swap infrastructure slowly expands, the quiet motorcycles appearing on the city’s streets may offer a glimpse of how economic pressure is beginning to reshape transport across Nigeria.

“When you look at how many bikes are pumping out smoke daily across Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, air pollution levels are alarming,” he said. “Even if we start with a fraction of the commercial bike fleets, the improvement in air quality could become visible relatively quickly.”

With ski slopes in winter and beautiful lochs to swim in during summer, the town of Aviemore in Scotland is like Britain’s very own alpine resort – albeit on a smaller scale.

We arrive at Aviemore Holiday Park, where our wooden lodge overlooks the River Spey in the stunning Cairngorms National Park, to be greeted by several ducks who seem keen to pop through the sliding French doors for a visit.

I count my lucky stars that we’ve left our dog Daisy at home, as the ducks would be toast.

Work your quads

There’s so much to do in the Scottish Highlands that it’s hard to know where to begin, but a sightseeing tour on quad bikes is a great start.

Whizzing through the Rothiemurchus Estate, we stop to see Highland cows and have a great view of the snow-topped Cairngorms in the distance. One-hour tours cost £59 per person (Rothiemurchus.net).

My daughter Riley, 15, and I are speed demons, but my son Harris, also 15, finds it nerve-wracking.

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He does love another activity on the estate, though – clay pigeon shooting.

During our 90-minute session, £59 per person, we learn how to load, hold and carry our guns before shooting at various targets – some flying through the air, others crossing in front of us.

I’m embarrassingly bad, whereas Harris’ hours on Call Of Duty pay off and he trounces all of us.

Water view

There are around 60 major lochs in Cairngorms National Park.

Loch an Eilein, a 15-minute stroll from our lodge, is particularly scenic and takes less than an hour to walk around.

Loch Insh, meanwhile, is a 15-minute drive and offers tons of watersports, including paddleboarding and canoeing, as well as dry-slope skiing and mountain biking.

The rain starts as we cycle, so by the time we return we’re soaked, but also feeling exhilarated – and delicious hot chocolates from the cafe soon warm us all up.

A family day ticket to Loch Insh, which includes most activities, costs £175 (Lochinsh.com).

It’s summit else

Hiking up Cairngorm Mountain is also well worth it. It’s a good two hours to the top, but the view from the 1,245m summit is incredible.

We celebrate our achievement that evening at the friendly and buzzy Old Bridge Inn.

Sitting by the river, we dig into Loch Bloom oysters, £10 for three, steamed Ling cod with ginger and soy broth and pak choi, £24, and lamb curry pie, £24, while burgers with twice-cooked chips are a winner with the kids.

The white chocolate and lemongrass mousse, £9, is also a must (Oldbridgeinn.co.uk).

Further afield, The Penny Bun, tucked away in Glenmore Forest, is a local secret. It serves up seasonal dishes inspired by the landscape, with a constantly changing menu.

We feast on cured halibut, £11, and hot mackerel pâté, £10, before Peterhead goujons with fries and masala sauce, £21, go down a treat, as do braised pigs cheeks, £23 (Thepennybun.co.uk).

And for a cheap night in, the Happy Haggis cooks up unrivalled fish and chips, £13.80, though you can also channel your inner Scot with battered haggis and chips, £9.60, washed down with an Irn Bru (Harkai.co.uk).

After a week in the fresh Scottish air and falling asleep to the sounds of the rippling river, we return to London feeling refreshed and vowing to go back for ’More.

IT’S late morning and I’m sunbathing on the front deck of a swish motor-cruiser, glass of rosé in hand and Balearic beats drumming in the background while I sail across the sparkling Mediterranean.

Life doesn’t get much better than this. On a normal Saturday morning, I would be standing pitchside at my kids’ football practice, ready to hand out water, yet here I was being waited on hand and foot.

My five mum pals and I had decided to jazz up our weekend mini break to Mallorca’s capital city, Palma, by hiring a private boat to take us around the coast.

We’d been inspired by celebs like Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Pedro Pascal, who have all been spotted sunning themselves on yachts this summer.

And the great thing is, you don’t need a mega budget to live an A-list lifestyle in Mallorca.

Sail Trip Mallorca, run by husband and wife Yannick and Sarah, offers bespoke private and group trips that are super-easy to book.

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Once on board, all we needed to worry about was relaxing on the cushioned sunbathing area and deciding what tunes to blast through the bluetooth speaker.

Captain Yannick ensured drinks were kept topped up as he steered us towards a secluded cove, where we didn’t waste any time diving into the crystal-clear water.

Despite us all being in our forties, some of our number were brave enough to take a leap from the roof of the captain’s cabin, straight into the ocean.

If you’re not a brave swimmer, though, our boat came equipped with paddleboards, a giant ring and snorkelling gear.

Then there are the underwater “scuba bikes” that allow guests to travel as deep as 20 feet beneath the waves, equipped with an oxygen tank and clear helmet so you can observe the fish as you pedal.

While we enjoyed a dip and a cycle, the multi-talented Yannick whipped up a delicious lunch of tapas, salad, mini burgers and dips for us to tuck into back on board.

Then, all that was left to do as we cruised back into Palma harbour was take in the most spectacular views of the city’s cathedral.

The whole experience felt like pure luxury. But best of all, it didn’t cost us an arm and a leg.

With enough space for 11 guests, the four-hour trip costs around £100pp including access to all the water equipment and a boozy lunch. Not bad, if you ask me.

Once back on dry land, be sure to check out the spectacular Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma up close.

And if you haven’t had enough of a dance on the boat, the recently opened AMOK in Palma hosts regular sunset parties that are well worth the €15 entry.

Far from being a boisterous, sweaty nightclub, this classy venue has a huge terrace bar and garden, lit up by twinkling lights in the trees.

Here, sunset views are accompanied by top-class DJs playing a mix of modern and Latin beats and excellent cocktails. If you’ve got the stamina, the party moves inside to the main club at 11:30pm and continues until 6am.

Don’t worry if you’re not a late-night raver, though. Those who prefer more of a daytime party will love UM Beach House (umbeachhouse.com).

Palma isn’t blessed with the greatest beaches, but this seafront club is gorgeous, with its own picturesque pool and direct access to the sea.

It’s a favourite holiday haunt of celebs, such as radio presenter Kate Lawler, who also visited in June.

Reclining on the huge, padded loungers, big enough for three, with glasses of fizz in our hands, Monday’s school run felt a world away.

Definitely stay for lunch as UM Beach House has a 360-degree terrace overlooking the sea, which serves a varied and delicious menu of fresh seafood pasta, light poke bowls and . . . more rosé.

Best of all, we were able to store our suitcases on site so, after a few hours of luxury bliss, we hopped into taxis straight for the airport feeling pampered instead of having to drag ourselves back to the hotel all frazzled.

Talk about the VIP treatment.

I know what I’ll be dreaming of when I’m standing at the side of a football pitch at the weekend.