A Bermuda-based former motorcycle racing professional is revving up to launch a motorbike taxi service across the Caribbean.

And Antoine Richards has ambitious plans to expand his business idea from the Caribbean to Central and South America and as far afield as South East Asia and Africa.

Mr Richards said: “The advantages are it’s cheaper than using a traditional taxi and another advantage is that bikes can nip through heavy traffic and get people to their destinations much quicker.”

Mr Richards — who is currently exploring business opportunities in the Caribbean — said he got the idea after seeing similar services while on vacation in the Dominican Republic a few years ago.

But he said: “It’s very informal in many cities — just guys doing a hustle. We’re looking at a legitimate business with technology behind it which is professional, profitable and insurable.”

Now Mr Richards — who has spent three years researching the market — said he would have uniformed riders on branded motorcycles using tried and tested technology and GPS for bookings.

And he added he could draw on his experience as a motorcycling expert to ensure his riding team were trained to the highest standards.

Mr Richards said: “The real competitive edge will be our training for our riders. I’m a former professional motorcycle racer — Bermuda’s first.

“I can use that expertise and network of experts from around the world to create a riders’ training programme.

“It’ll be a boot camp style with follow-up training throughout their careers to ensure their driving techniques are of the highest standards.”

Mr Richards, 27, will this weekend send out documents for new Island investors in his Bermuda-based Starlantic Holdings with a view to a launch in the Caribbean next month.

And he added the use of technology similar to the successful Uber app would not only allow fast ordering and dispatch, but let the firm monitor speeds and locations of riders.

He said: “A customer would download our app. The app will look like a GPS map which shows their location. You press the button on the app and that will send a notification back to the office with a rider request. The customer will see a uniformed rider with a branded bike and hop on the back. And they’ll see the fare prior to the arrival.”

Mr Richards added he used a Bermuda-based company because most of his investors were based on-Island or in the US and reluctant to back a company based in the developing world.

He said: “People are investing in a Bermuda company, so they know all of the banking is up to standard and the business structures are up to standard.”

He added he would launch in the Caribbean area by October, and, if successful, move on to countries like Costa Rica, the Bahamas and Barbados before going global.

Mr Richards said: “The business model is built work in countries with a warm climate and particularly in countries that have tourism.”

But he said his original plan to launch in Bermuda was ditched due to the high cost of operating on the Island.

He added: “We will look at Bermuda, but that might be a ways off because of the expense.”