Tourists see the sites of Vilnius, Lithuania on Segways. Could this become a popular scene on the streets of the UK's cities? Photograph: Dan Chung
It was hailed as the vehicle of the future. A small, lightweight platform on wheels that carried the user along smoothly and silently like something from a 1970s sci-fi film. Electrically powered and emissions-free, the Segway Personal Transporter seemed to be the answer to many people's prayers; a commuting alternative to the car that wasn't a crammed bus or train, and didn't involve a sweaty cycle ride. And then the government went and banned it.
In a classic piece of legislative zeal, the Department of Transport responded to the unveiling of the futuristic riding machine by publishing its "Regulations for Self-balancing Scooters". These basically refer the Highway Act of 1835 and EU vehicle certification rules to ban it from all paths and roads - meaning the only place you are now permitted to use a Segway in the UK is on private land. Not much use to the average commuter, then.
However, all is not lost. A group of visionary MPs, spearheaded by Tory transport spokesman Robert Goodwill, is campaigning to get the Segway reclassified so it can travel on cycle lanes - and on the road where cycle lanes don't exist. The MPs are backed by a campaign group calling itself Legalise Segways, which champions the personal transporter as a way to reduce congestion, pollution, noise and even road rage - how could you possibly get mad at someone purring past on something that looks like a hi-tech lawnmower?
So, do Goodwill and his supporters stand much chance, and is the Segway really worth fighting for? Critics say the device is dangerous, which is why it was banned. However, the only two people ever known to have fallen off one are George W Bush and Piers Morgan - so, as Morgan himself wrote, the manufacture's claim that Segways are idiot-proof is still justified. In any case, plenty of other countries around the world seem to have accommodated them without suffering a sudden rise in mass collisions.
They are so taken with them in the US that police use them to patrol parks, while in China they form part of the weaponry of the Olympic anti-terror forces. But are they really green?
Segways require a lot less energy to power than a car, and produce no emissions while travelling. However, they can only go 24 miles on a full charge and have a top speed of just 12mph. So, the first question you need to ask yourself is, would you really use it instead of your car, or are you more likely to take one to work instead of walking to give yourself an extra five minutes in bed? A bit like electric bikes, how green they are depends what they replace.
The second question you need to ask is whether a smooth, silent ride to work each day is worth £4,399. Perhaps that bike in the shed is a better option after all, sweaty or not.
