TWO frustrated commuters have come up with the perfect pick-me-up for stranded motorists. Caroline King and Andrew Wootton of Earls Colne have launched a personal chauffeur service where your driver arrives on a collapsible motorbike, folds his vehicle into your boot, and drives your car for you.

TWO frustrated commuters have come up with the perfect pick-me-up for stranded motorists.

Caroline King and Andrew Wootton of Earls Colne have launched a personal chauffeur service where your driver arrives on a collapsible motorbike, folds his vehicle into your boot, and drives your car for you.

Get You Home Ltd is aiming its services at a range of customers, from those wanting to enjoy a night out with a guilt-free drink and get home in their own car, to travellers flying out of Stansted who don't want to leave their cars at the airport.

The pair, who both work in the financial services industry, with came up with the idea a few months ago, bought a fleet of collapsible motorbikes and launched the service in July.

They have eight drivers, and a further two staff man the office at Atlas Works, Foundry Lane, Earls Colne.

“We are just kind of seeing where it goes. We are lucky enough to have some reliable people who are working there for us,” said Mrs King. “We are currently recruiting for more drivers. We originally started off with a 20 mile radius but we have plans to expand that already.”

Demand for the service was already spreading as wide as Braintree to north of Colchester, with a lot of interest from people flying out of Stansted, she said.

“One of the reasons we started it was because we felt there was a gap if you like and we tried to respond to that,” she said. “I commute form Mark's Tey and it's just not possible to get transport if you are being spontaneous.”

They have distributed thousands of leaflets advertising their service, but it would take time for people to understand what they were offering, she said.

“The service we are offering is very, very unique and people have to understand how it works,” she said. “We are working really hard to get the whole service fully explained to people.”

Customers were amazed at the chauffeurs' vehicles and reacted with surprise when they saw how small and compact they were once folded, she said.

“Almost within two seconds it can be folded down,” she said.

They liked the convenience of what they were offering, and it saved getting transport two ways, she added.

“It's just slightly more expensive than one way, but significantly less than two,” she said.