Queensland is set to become the first Australian jurisdiction to allow privately operated motorised Segway scooters, leaving the ACT and other states and territories behind.
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Restricted on public land in the ACT, the two-wheeled, self-balancing vehicles will be allowed for private transport from next month in the Sunshine State.
Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson said Segways have a 12km/h speed limit and will be required to have a bell, lights and reflectors, with use restricted footpaths and in bike lanes.
The American designed vehicles will not be subject to registration requirements but operators must be at least 12 years old. ''I'm satisfied we have struck a balance between safety and giving people more choice about how they get around,'' Mr Emerson said in a statement.
The Segway is popular in Europe, Asia and North America and a special exemption was granted to a Canberra tour company in October 2011 for Segways to operate in the central basin area of Lake Burley Griffin.
In June 2012, the ACT government gave tour company Seg Glide Ride a three-year licence to operate the vehicles in the central basin area after it obtained private insurance.
The company operates as many as 10 tours per day, with customers required to undertake training and wear helmets.
Mr Emerson said he expected the new regulations would allow for further commercial use in Queensland's tourism sector.
A spokeswoman for Chief Minister and acting Attorney-General Katy Gallagher said there were no plans to permit the private use of Segways in the ACT, and their use in public areas remained an offence under the road transport legislation.
''The [2012] Segway review found that allowing private use of Segways on roads or road-related areas would not be prudent at this stage, particularly given that most paths in the ACT are already shared by pedestrians and cyclists travelling at differing speeds and taking into account stopping or braking times,'' the spokeswoman said. ''The mechanisms for monitoring private compliance with safety precautions are not sufficiently developed to provide confidence that the risks associated with Segway use can be fully mitigated.''
The spokeswoman said existing arrangements permitting the commercial use of Segways around Lake Burley Griffin are set to expire in June 2016, and it is anticipated that the review of Segway use will be conducted around that time.
''The decision by Queensland to permit the use of Segways on footpaths and bicycle paths, and its experience once that change is implemented, will be examined as part of that consideration,'' she said.