No argument....

[rog_london]

I saw someone tearing down Piccadilly on Friday morning towards Piccadilly Circus on a Segway. A police van wasn't too far behind but the rider turned right into Duke Street and the police van didn't give chase.

I can't see him getting away with that too often! An expensive mistake to think it might be legal as there would be a strong possibility of it being confiscated on the spot - which is more than likely.

And yes, to avoid all the unnecessary posts it's definitely ILLEGAL on the public road because (among other things) it doesn't have pedals. He was wearing a bike helmet but I'm sure that wouldn't have done him much good if he were stopped.

Rog.

 

[Jeremy]

I built a DIY balancing scooter a couple of years ago and quickly found there was virtually nowhere in the UK you could use it.

Their use is illegal everywhere except on private land from which the public are specifically excluded, which in essence means you're restricted to riding around your garden.

Around here the police had a crackdown on electric scooters, Go Peds and MiniMotos a while ago, because there was a spate of them being ridden on paths and pavements by kids. The result is that you won't get away with using something like a Segway, even on a path.

 

[rog_london]

Around here the police had a crackdown on electric scooters, Go Peds and MiniMotos a while ago, because there was a spate of them being ridden on paths and pavements by kids. The result is that you won't get away with using something like a Segway, even on a path.

Definitely not along Piccadilly in central London! That's about as high-profile a spot as you could possibly pick.

Rog.

 

[eddieo]

Odd that they seem popular for companies offering city tours....I have seen them in Italy, and a quick google has city tours in Berlin, paris,vienna, amsterdam and probably others.....seeing as the designer killed himself on one by driving of a ledge, the situation a bit strange. widely available in UK also but on large estates (private land) and you have to sign a disclaimer...


Segway City Tours

http://www.lakelandsegway.co.uk/res_website.asp?suppliercode=LSG100

City Segway Tours

 

[rog_london]

On my travels I have passed through Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) on many occasions, and the airport police used them to get about in the extensive terminal building. That was maybe two or three years ago - I don't know if they're still in use.

Rog.

 

[indalo]

On my travels I have passed through Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) on many occasions, and the airport police used them to get about in the extensive terminal building. That was maybe two or three years ago - I don't know if they're still in use.

Rog.

Not only in Holland but also in France as this photo from my phone which I posted some time ago shows:



These machines were charging from the sockets on the outside wall of the police station in a large park in Lyon.

Indalo

 

[Scimitar]

Only serves to show how stupid, out-dated, and out of touch the UK legislation is.

 

[flecc]

I saw someone tearing down Piccadilly on Friday morning towards Piccadilly Circus on a Segway. A police van wasn't too far behind but the rider turned right into Duke Street and the police van didn't give chase.

Being a police van, it was probably on it's way to a specific need, pick up an arrested person for example, so not able to stop for a minor matter.

 

[GaRRy]

.seeing as the designer killed himself on one by driving of a ledge,

Not the designer, the owner of the company

Segway tycoon Jimi Heselden dies in cliff plunge on one of his own scooters | Mail Online

 

[jackhandy]

There was a piece, on Country File I think, a while ago about a chap in the Lakes doing Segway adventure holidays.

I would assume there must have been some kind of dispensation agreed to in that case, if it involved bridleways etc.

 

[Jeremy]

There was a piece, on Country File I think, a while ago about a chap in the Lakes doing Segway adventure holidays.

I would assume there must have been some kind of dispensation agreed to in that case, if it involved bridleways etc.

They were probably just breaking the law but hadn't been caught.

I checked with the police locally when I built my DIY one, and they did confirm that they were classed as a motor vehicle in law, so needed registration, insurance, etc. Of course, you can't register the things because they don't have brakes, so cannot be made to comply with any UK vehicle classification. I even tried arguing that it could be classed as an electric wheelchair or disabled scooter, but again the inability to comply with the regulations governing those (mainly the lack of brakes again) ruled that out.

I've seen them in France a few times, being used for tourist trips, and TBH can't see why they can't be made legal here. They are less of a hazard on pavements and paths than mobility scooters, IMHO.

 

[amigafan2003]

I think they take the same stance with Segways as with illegal ebikes - if you don't cause a nuisance and you don't have an accident a blind eye is turned.

 

[GaRRy]

There was a piece, on Country File I think, a while ago about a chap in the Lakes doing Segway adventure holidays.

I would assume there must have been some kind of dispensation agreed to in that case, if it involved bridleways etc.

Totally on private land so not a issue.

http://www.lakelandsegway.co.uk/res_website.asp?suppliercode=LSG100

to quote for those who cant be bothered to read it all

As the UK's longest established "SegwayAuthorized" tour provider, let Lakeland Segway introduce you to this innovative and novel way of "gliding" around a private Lakeland Estate that borders the western shores of Windermere.

 

[Jeremy]

Totally on private land so not a issue.

http://www.lakelandsegway.co.uk/res_website.asp?suppliercode=LSG100

to quote for those who cant be bothered to read it all

As the UK's longest established "SegwayAuthorized" tour provider, let Lakeland Segway introduce you to this innovative and novel way of "gliding" around a private Lakeland Estate that borders the western shores of Windermere.

That's the key then, they are using them on land where the public don't have access under the "right to roam" law (a.k.a. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000).

One of the, perhaps unforeseen, consequences of this act was to make the use of unregistered motor vehicles far more restricted than it had been. Before this act you could use an unregistered motor vehicle on any bit of land that wasn't a public right of way with just the landowners permission. After this act was passed lots more private land was given public access rights, meaning that any motor vehicle used on it had to be registered, just as if it were used on a road or other public right of way.

 

[amigafan2003]

Yes, but I don't think farmers using quad bikes to get across their land really have anything to worry about

 

[GaRRy]

Yes, but I don't think farmers using quad bikes to get across their land really have anything to worry about

Actually if the public can walk across the field in question then yes they do. Anywhere the public have open access to (eg a car show room forecourt) requires that any one using a vehicle there must be insured,licensed etc etc. and it is a offence to not be so. Some farm specific vehicles my be exempt from this rule (eg combine harvester) but I doubt a quad bike is.

Sure unless something goes wrong the odds of getting prosecuted as pretty much zero. but if any thing does go wrong you are potentially in serious trouble if you and/or the vehicle are not road legal.

 

[flecc]

Yes, but I don't think farmers using quad bikes to get across their land really have anything to worry about

That's definitely a "blind eye" area, farmers use all manner of unregistered vehicles on their land, despite it often having public footpaths crossing it. They even maintain the public footpaths using them!

 

[Zebb]

I go to cannock chase lots and they have them there, where its shared with public, or doesn't it matter at this location.
I hadn't realized they were illegal until I read this thread.

Link. Forest Segway Experience | Adventure Days Out at Go Ape

 

[Scimitar]

Being a police van, it was probably on it's way to a specific need, pick up an arrested person for example, so not able to stop for a minor matter.

Hah; they were on their way back to the nick for tea and doughnuts, you mean.

 

[flecc]

Hah; they were on their way back to the nick for tea and doughnuts, you mean.

In the West End of London where this incident was, the vans are forever picking up arrested people, it's a very busy spot for the police with all the shoplifting, pickpocketing, illegal selling, begging, find-the-lady etc that goes on continuously. The actual policing on the streets is mainly done by plain clothes pedestrian officers, with support from those using bikes and cars.