Europe, Environment

They’re zippy and fun and are great for getting you around speedily and conveniently, but alas modes of novelty urban transit seem to have fallen foul of European law-makers lately.

 

 

The latest announcement that Barcelona in Spain is going to forbid Segways and bicycle taxis from entering a key section of the city centre comes hot on the heels of Amsterdam revealing that it plans to ban beer bikes. Segways and hoverboards are already illegal on public roads in the UK.

 

Segways are illegal to use on public roads in the UK.

Segways are illegal to use on public roads in the UK. Image by Alan Kotok / CC BY 2.0

While Segway tours for tourists are popular in the Spanish capital, Barcelona has declared that Segways and bicycle taxis found circulating on the waterfront promenade between Hotel Vela and the Olympic Port will face a €90 fine, rising to up to a stiff €1000 penalty for repeat offenders. The measure is aimed at reducing congestion in the area, which annoys local residents during the busy tourist season.

 

Barcelona's boardwalks will now be Segway free zones.

Barcelona’s boardwalks are popular spots for trabelling on Segways. Image by: Portsofcall/Budget Travel

This measure is one that Barcelona is implementing to reduce the negative effects that tourism has had on the city. It has already announced its intention to turn more than half of its streets into pedestrianised green spaces, and is restricting the use of vacation apartments and clamping down on bar crawls and  street noise. There is also a moratorium on new hotel beds and very strict preservation orders on historic shops, to stop them being taken over by generic chains.