Segway Squad

16 July 2008 - 9:00am

Following a series of Segway pilot tests in other Canadian cities, the town of Sylvan Lake Alberta is loosening up laws restricting them the space age vehicles to private property.

"Alberta is loosening its rules surrounding the use of Segways, the two-wheeled personal transporters first introduced to the world in 2001. A small RCMP detachment in Sylvan Lake, a resort town, is even expected to become the first police agency in Canada to use Segways permanently.

Across Canada, it's illegal to drive the electric vehicles - which have a top speed of 20 kilometres an hour - off private property.

However, in Alberta, the Progressive Conservative government is now allowing emergency personnel, such as police officers, to apply for permits to use the machines to travel on public areas such as sidewalks and trails.

According to Alberta transportation ministry spokesman Jerry Bellikka, if that project works well, the government will start considering, as early as this fall, to look at 'opening it up' to the general public."

Full Story: Albertans blaze a trail to be first in country with sidewalk Segways

Source: The Globe & Mail, July 11, 2008