Submission + - Dutch Ban Segways From Public Roads
srizah writes: "Segway has been banned on the public roads of the Netherlands. The traffic authorities claim that it is a motorized vehicle and a mo-ped.
An excerpt from the story in Physorg,
"Segway Nederland director Piet Kruijt said Tuesday the company was "completely ambushed" by the decision, first announced by national police on Nov. 27, 2006.
"We're working on all fronts to get this resolved," Kruijt said. He estimated that "a number of hundreds" of Segways have been sold in the Netherlands. For the time being, they are only legal on private property.
Police said that with no approval of the vehicles in sight by the country's Royal Traffic Agency, they could not be allowed to continue using public streets.
The Segway "is a motorized vehicle, and according to Dutch law, a mo-ped," a police statement said.
But because the Traffic Agency hasn't approved the vehicle, the police statement said, it can't be issued license plates.
"It's a nice vehicle, I've ridden one myself," said Hans van Geenhuizen, a spokesman from the Traffic Agency, which is responsible for licensing. But he said the agency cannot license the Segway under current law.
"It doesn't have a brake, you brake by leaning back, and that's clearly not permissible," he said. "
http://www.physorg.com/news86965198.html"
