CHINA TOPIX

03/29/2024 09:25:34 am

Make CT Your Homepage

China Bans Use of Hoverboards, Segways on Roads and Bike Lanes

Beijing and Shanghai have just updated their road traffic laws, banning both hoverboards and Segways from all roads and bike lanes.

(Photo : Getty Images) Beijing and Shanghai have just updated their road traffic laws, banning both hoverboards and Segways from all roads and bike lanes.

Bad news for hoverboard and segway enthusiasts in China! Authorities have now banned the use of the two-wheelers on Chinese roads.

China's two biggest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, have introduced new road traffic regulations that prohibit the use of hoverboards and Segways on its roads and bike lanes, according to state-owned Xinhua News Agency.

Like Us on Facebook

If people are caught using the banned vehicles on Shanghai roads, they will be penalized with a $7.50 fine. Riding hoverboards or Segways in the bike lane carries a $3 fine as only push-bikes and electric bikes are permitted in the bike lane. In Beijing, the blanket penalty is only US$1.50.

The use of the battery-powered vehicles has been banned on streets and roads but people are free to use the same on sidewalks, which doesn't sound safe considering the uneven pavements, broken slabs and overall bumpy condition of the footpaths.

Hoverboards have becoming quite popular in China and millions of them are sold in the country each year. Xiaomi, one of the country's largest tech companies, sells the self-balancing scooters for $300, according to Tech in Asia.

Scooter rides don't need to pass a proficiency test and the two-wheelers are not subject to any safety inspections in China.

In spite of its growing demand in China, authorities have introduced the new traffic law in order to prevent electric scooters from causing traffic jams and accidents on the road.

There have also been some safety issues with these personal transportation vehicles such as spontaneous combustion and therefore hoverboards have been banned in several countries, as Gizmodo pointed out.

Real Time Analytics