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Segway court fine ride into history books
A BARNSLEY man has made history by becoming the first person in the country to be charged with riding a Segway scooter on the pavement.
Phillip Coates was riding the motorised, self-balancing two-wheeler when he was stopped by police in the town.
He was later interviewed and charged with riding a motor vehicle on the pavement under the Highways Act 1835.
Mr Coates, aged 51, pleaded not guilty when he appeared at Barnsley Magistrates' Court, setting the scene for the first defended prosecution of a Segway rider in the UK.
Segway supporters, including Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik, hope it will establish its position in law.
Currently, the Government classes the futuristic machines as motor vehicles and advises they cannot be used anywhere except on private land, including pavements, cycle lanes and roads.
But despite seven years of consultations, it has not issued legislation on them.
Mr Coates, a factory worker, of Park Avenue, Barnsley, bought a Segway after trying one out on holiday in Florida.
He has used it since for commuting to work and trips to town - and has even let his 86-year-old mother have a go.
He said he was amazed when he was stopped by a policeman and asked to attend the station for interview.
"I was shocked. Police stopped me once before but only to make some enquiries and they left it at that."
Phillip is due back at court for a pre-trial review on Friday.
Segway scooters are legal in 44 US states as well as in Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
Mr Opik has championed the Segway and has even tried to get himself arrested riding a Segway - including on television - without success.
Solicitor Victoria Molloy, of Howard and Co, said the case would challenge the machine's designation as a motor vehicle.
She added: "Hopefully it will go some way to providing a basis for legal regulation in the UK. Until now no-one has ever been charged with an offence in order for this to be challenged in law."
A CPS spokesman said: "South Yorkshire Police have charged a man with driving a motor vehicle on the pavement and the file has been passed to us to prosecute."
In its guidance, the Department for Transport says it would be "difficult" for scooters such as Segways to meet standards required to be classified as road vehicles.
And Segways are not included in the same category as bicycles, as they cannot be pedalled.
A spokesman for the department said: "The safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists is our primary concern. The Segway does not currently meet basic safety standards for use on UK roads - for example an absence of lights and indicators.
"Current legislation restricts Segway use in the UK to private land such as airports and shopping malls. We would require robust evidence to support the benefits and further consideration of the risks posed to users and others before reviewing this."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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