WORLD
Prague 1 wants to crackdown on Segways
Baku, July 23, AZERTAC
The Town Hall for Prague 1, which covers the touristy city center, wants new rules to govern the use of Segways, server iDnes.cz reported.
The two-wheeled vehicles would only be allowed in certain areas and operators would need to seek permits. In addition, the vehicles would have to carry GPS tags so their location could be monitored.
The permitting process would be similar to the one for cars that seek to operate in the pedestrian zone at and around Můstek.
More than a dozen companies operate Segways in the city center.
Currently, the city lacks a specific sign to ban Segways and has created a rather confusing ad-hoc one for Kampa Park, one of the few places where using Segways is already restricted. Use between Malé náměstí and Michalska Street is also restricted.
Bureš also wants to clarify the legal position of Segways, so the law regarding drunken driving, for example, would clearly apply as it now does to motorcycles and even bicycles.
Germany requires permits for use in pedestrian zones and sidewalks, and restricts them from federal and state roads.
Across Europe, there is no agreement on what type of vehicle a Segway is, with designations including pedestrian, moped, motorcycle and bicycle.