|
Segways may soon be zipping down Tumon's roads & sidewalks
You've probably seen things like motorcycles, go-karts, and pocket bikes motoring around Guam's roads, but the island has yet to see electric personal assistive mobility devices. This past Thursday the 28th Guam Legislature held a public hearing on Bill 161, which would allow for the use of these two-wheeled devices.
"Get ready, it's coming - it's fun and you'll enjoy yourself," said a proud Dan Duvall, owner of Guam People Movers, which retails the Segway Human Transporter, a popular two-wheeled device. It's a new form of transportation that may be hitting Guam's roads and sidewalks soon. (That's if legislators pass the bill allowing for its use.)
This is something that Duvall wants to make sure happens before he begins selling this upright transportation device to the public. "There wasn't any law so I wanted to be forthright I wanted to get a law enacted that would prescribe the limits and areas where we can ride," he explained.
Duvall started out by approaching different local senators in hopes of coming up with a law that is both safe and accommodating while allowing people to make their own responsible decisions about transportation. The proposed legislation sets the age limit for users of the new vehicle to 16 years of age. Duvall doesn't intend to have the human transporter run on highways where they can obstruct traffic, but he does feel that it would be a disservice to residents to not allow them to ride in areas where the speed limit is less than 35 miles per hour; places like village roads and neighborhood Cul de Sacs.
This is especially attractive when you consider all the safety features built into the device like it's 12.5 MPH speed limit - even when going downhill. Duvall adds that according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, forty-one states have passed legislation that allow EPAMDs on public streets, and thirty-five of those states already allow riders to use these devices on roadways, with speed limits ranging anywhere from 25 to even 55 MPH.
So what is this unique space-age looking device? It's a two-wheeled, one-person upright transportation vehicle that was invented by Dean Kamen, who also invented the i-Bot, a special wheelchair that allows paraplegic and quadriplegic individuals to stand upright. It's also a machine with no throttle; it senses your weight and keeps you balanced. If you want to move forward just shift your weight slightly on to your toes. If you want to reverse just shift your weight slightly onto your heels.
One of the best features is the fact that this vehicle uses no gas and requires little maintenance. Says Duvall, "This particular model will go 15-24 miles on a single charge it gets the equivalent of 450 miles to the gallon and the only maintenance is check the tire pressure once a month."
If the bill is signed into law the public can look forward to seeing this pollution free smooth riding vehicle on tours down to Ypao Beach, Pleasure Island and Two Lovers Point.
|