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While some marvel at the thought of utilising them, bike taxis are the norm, according to some riders in Hampton Court in St Thomas.

The profession is one that many young men flock to, as they see the need for their services there; plus, there is limited demand for their skills in a corporate work environment.

One of the bike taxi men, Lee Gayle, said roughly five years ago he quit his job as a sugar cane worker and tried the bike taxi industry.

Years later, he said that it was the best decision for himself and his family.

"Mi use to work in the sugar industry and I got redundant twice. Wi did start work again but the man dem never united so me leave. I had a little old bike and mi seh you know seh mi a go start run bike taxi, and the morning mi get up and pick up a lady and that was it. That was bout five years ago," he said.

He told THE STAR that business is not always great; however, they are in a position to help themselves and others.

Maxwell Beckford, who has been in the profession for a little more than a year, has already been able to afford his own bike.

He said that from he was a boy, he saw men taking people to and fro on their bikes and charging them a fee.

Since there is no taxi route from Hampton Court to communities such as Springfield and Rocky Point, these bike men capitalised on the opportunity.

Charging $100 per person, the riders said many think their price is too low, given the distance they have to travel, sometimes with passengers carrying loads.

"A years this a gwaan a St Thomas. No one introduced me to it, but a before me born this a gwaan. Some a the time we get whole help a passengers and sometimes it balance so we just work with it. A more than 30 year bike taxi a run because me a 30 year old, and as me seh mi born come see this," said Beckford.

Richard Kelly, who hangs out with the bikers, said that if there were no bike taxis, many residents would be stranded.

"In this parish on a whole, certain kind of vehicle don't run go certain area so we affi use bike taxi to bring the people them home. Places like Barking Lodge, New Pera, Old Pera, taxi man nuh look fi go that side because it is not a route they get licence to run," he told THE STAR. "Hampton Court is like a likkle town by itself so when a man leave from Rocky Point and want to go Morant Bay, there is no vehicle to take him from that point to go there so him affi come here (Hampton Court) first. So when him tek a bike taxi from deh so, him come out here to get an original taxi to go Morant Bay."

Beckford said the taxis are often called to purchase items and deliver them, as many times people in the communities need things at the grocery or farm store.

"Sometimes yuh deh out yah so and people call and ask you to buy something for them and I dweet and carry it go in and them pay wi. Without bike taxi nuff time people cya move. From morning not even one car nuh turn pan the route, a bare bike, and we affi a carry the people them weh have scandal bag and all," he said.