It may come as a surprise to know that the Segway personal transporter is illegal for use on public highways in the UK. That means roads, pavements and cycle paths are a no-no, although you can use it on private land. The quoted reason for the ban is safety concerns - although I'm cynical enough to think that it's got more to do with our elected leaders being unable to classify it which means tax and regulation can't follow. (seriously "safety concerns" - I've been run off the pavement by motorised shopping carts and bicycles before now so I can't see a Segway is any more dangerous)

Anyway I digress. Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik flouted the law yesterday by riding a Segway to work in an attempt to draw attention to the device and get it legalised. I'm behind the guy, Segways are very cool and could work wonders in an inner-city environment. Unfortunately they won't.

Why? Simple - they're damned expensive!  In the UK you'll pay between £4500 and £5500 for a new Segway. (roughly $9000 US if you're reading this over the pond).

I can buy a cheap, small car for £2000 that has better range and will shelter me from the rain, or I could buy a motorbike for similar money. If I want to stay green and avoid burning fossil fuels, I can compare the Segway to the new electric pushbikes where even the top end, long range model with all the toys is £1400 - still £3000 cheaper than a Segway.

Basically I think Segways are a fantastically cool way to travel short distances and I'd have one tomorrow if I could afford it, but the cost will keep them out of general circulation and no legislation will change that. They need to get the price down to under £1000 before it'll become a serious contender in the personal transport stakes.