3 December 2004
Segway in Australia…damn..:)
Posted by Mick (SplaTT) Stanic under: Geek Toys .
When did this all happen??? When did they decide to let the Segway into Australia??? When did they appoint a local distributor??? And why didn’t i hear anything about it???
Segway Southern Cross has been appointed as the exclusive distributor in Australia and NZ and are offering both the i-series and the p-series for sale on their site.
I think it was a p-series that i took for a ride when i was in Seattle earlier this year (photo’s here) and i feel in love with it on the spot…damn…guess i will be making a phone call tomorrow morning to Segway Southern Cross to see what the deal is…and the availability… :)
26 Comments so far...
Mick (SplaTT) Stanic Says:
3 December 2004 at 23:35.
Yep…they are just a little bit steep on the price…but i ask you…can you really put a price on that much fun and geek cred??? i think not… ;)
Michael Says:
29 December 2004 at 05:32.
Hi
Please visit our website at http://www.segwaysoutherncross.com.au or give me a call on 03 9527 9600.
We are happy to discuss Segway products with you.
Please remember that our prices do include GST.
Michael
gaetano marano Says:
11 January 2005 at 10:50.
Segway on the Moon Wallpaper Free Download at: http://www.gaetanomarano.it/segway/segway.html
Edward Taylor Says:
17 February 2005 at 22:19.
I would like details price etc
Tim Says:
10 March 2005 at 13:52.
Not legal for use on roads or footpaths or any public area in Australia… in fact not even legal to import into Australia as it is deemed a “non-complying vehicle”…
A lot of money for an illegally imported vehicle that you can only use around the back yard!
Jay Says:
5 April 2005 at 14:49.
Hi,
The Segway HT is now legally importable into Australia.
We now have the right through Australian Customs for the import of Segways into australia.
Please check out http://www.segwaysydney.com.au for all the details.
We are selling both privately and to the commercial markets.
Happy travelling!
Jay
Segway Sydney
Tim Says:
12 April 2005 at 11:05.
Spoke to Canberra yesterday who stated that the Segway is still a non-complying vehicle that is not eligible for import to Australia.
Checked out the web site provided above, the only reference to legal use I could find was a note to editors on the bottom of an undated press release stating…
“The Segway HT can currently be used freely on private property and regulatory approval for use on public footpaths is expected in next few months.”
Someone is not telling the whole story here…
Mick (SplaTT) Stanic Says:
12 April 2005 at 11:24.
How hard can it be for them to sort this out??? Maybe its a conspiracy by the oil companies and the government ;)
Tim Says:
12 April 2005 at 11:47.
The import side of things is only half the story.
Even if you manage to get one into the country, which it appears is possible but maybe not legitimate, they are not able to be legally used on a road or footpath at this time.
I don’t think there is a conspiracy on the oil company or government front, it is simply a new type of device that fits the description of a vehicle, for which there are specified standards or requirements (ie ADRs). The Segway does not satisfy those requirements.
If there is a conspiracy, it is more likely to be by the importers in selling Segways to the uninformed in sufficient numbers to force the government to act.
Just my 0.02c worth.
Mick (SplaTT) Stanic Says:
12 April 2005 at 12:10.
Not that i am one for conspiracy theories, but they have had a lot of trouble around the world gettin approval to sell the Segway from the first day they released it. I understand that its a new type of device they are having trouble fitting into one of their current categories, but do you have any idea how the motorised scooters are classified (not the Vespa’s…the stand on kind)?? Though they probably don’t have as much power as the Segway…
Tim Says:
12 April 2005 at 13:41.
In Australia the motorised kick scooters that have over 200w power output are a motorcycle, and are in the same situation as the Segway. They are in the same situation as the pocket bikes that were all the rage before last Christmas. They need to be registered, but if they don’t comply with the rules, they can’t be, and can’t be used on a road or footpath.
Kick scooters with less than 200w power output are not considered a motorcycle under Federal law (ie The Motor Vehicles Act and ADRs) but are still a motor vehicle under State laws meaning they need rego… which they can’t get. They are also not the same as a “power assisted pedal cycle” as they have no pedals, only the engine.
I think the Segway issue is more than just it not fitting a description. They may not really be suited for use on a road with other traffic, or on paths with bikes, pedestrians or both.
Until the governments are satisfied that there are appropriate usage rules and laws in place, they are unlikely to support the importation and sale of them, or allow their use in public areas.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not a Segway opponent, in fact I think it is an amazing application of technology, though feel it is more of a geek-toy than a serious transport option for the masses at this time, despite what the people seeking to get rich from sales are saying.
I don’t want to see it killed, I can just see the problems it presents.
terry Says:
6 June 2005 at 12:38.
I have Parkinson’s disease and cannot walk more than a few paces before i fall down . I would love to try using a segway and perhaps be mobile
again. Surely there must be other people like me
who don’t want the hassles of a wheelchair but could use the quick convenience of a segway. Maybe some MS victims or heart conditions patients
could find it of great benefit.
Seems to me we need a bit of practical thought applied here buy our elected law makers…..
Michael Says:
8 June 2005 at 08:42.
Hello Terry
Segway disclaim their products as medical devices. They are general usage devices.
If you would like to try one, send us an email via our website http://www.segwaysoutherncross.com we will try and meet you and let you have a test glide.
POCS
Plain old common sense.
Michael
Tim Says:
9 June 2005 at 10:38.
Terry,
While I can see the possible benefits of a mobility aid that is NOT a wheelchair for people in your situation, I think it is important to not lose sight of the bigger picture here.
The Segway is a motor vehicle according to the authorities at this time, and does not meet the requirements to be safely or legally used on any road or footpath in Australia.
This may change at sometime in the future when appropriate conditions on their use have been established. Until that time comes, I certainly would not be spending the sort of money these cost in case it never happens.
Note that Michael, the same as Jay above, are both employed to sell these things but seem to avoid the issue that they cannot be used anywhere outside of private property legally. The Segways for sale also appear to be illegally imported according to the Authorities. All my enquiries to Australian Segway dealers on these two issues are met with silence or blank looks.
While you personally may be able to get some sort of permits on medical grounds, I would recommend investigating this with your local registration authority before getting too excited about a Segway.
My advice? – Take advice from those who do not stand to benefit from the sale.
Now THAT is plain old common sense!
Michael Says:
17 June 2005 at 23:08.
Hello Tim
I don’t propose to have discussions in this forum with you.
You are making untrue statements about Segway Southern Cross. This cannot continue.
Please do the following:
1 Identify yourself so that we may properly address your untrue statements. You may do this publicly ( here ) or confidentially via any of the links at http://www.segwaysoutherncross.com
2 Withdraw all allegations of any unlawful activity whasoever by Segway Southern Cross.
Yours most sincerely
Michael Mote
Manager
Segway Southern Cross
http://www.segwaysoutherncross.com
Tim Says:
1 July 2005 at 09:03.
Michael,
This topic of discussion should be in a public forum as the information is likely to be of interest to anyone interested in using a Segway in Australia.
I don
Michael Says:
1 July 2005 at 23:41.
Hi Tim
Glad you answered.
I was beginning to wonder.
As you state, my identity is plain and clear.
However, who are you ?
This is not plain and clear.
Our policy is to fully disclose details to any and all interested parties. All our written quotations are 100% clear and appropriate to the laws.
If you want, just ask us for a quotation.
Use your own name or a blind if you wish.
We are delighted that you seem to be withdrawing allegations, by un-named authorities, or others, of any illegal activity by us. Although your snide comments remain.
We consider any such accusations as libel, and we reserve the right to redress.
I shall not post here again until you identify yourself.
Michael
Tim Says:
7 July 2005 at 12:15.
Michael,
I am not withdrawing any allegations, as I clearly have not made any. I stated this in my last post, as well as gave the names of the authorities that are some of the sources of my information.
Thankyou for the kind offer of a quotation, however I am already aware of the price on a Segway having spoken to a number of dealers. Your policy to fully disclose details is encouraging as my questions to you remain unanswered.
Yes your identity is plain and clear, and so it should be as you are the proprietor of a business.
I, however, am a private citizen seeking the answers to a couple of simple questions that any potential purchaser of a Segway should be asking. My identity is not relevant.
Tim Says:
7 July 2005 at 12:16.
I find it puzzling that you are so interested in establishing my identity rather than answer my questions. Surely if a Segway can be legally used on a footpath or road you, being a selling agent, would be able to simply state the laws under which it is permitted would you not?
And surely you would know details regarding the import of Segways?
You could also possibly suggest why this information is not clearly stated on any Australian Segway website.
I would also expect that you could offer some logical explanation as to why VicRoads (Phone 13 11 71) and most other state rego authorities, as well as the Department of Transport in Canberra (Phone 02 6274 7111) have a different view.
As I have not identified myself, and you have said you will not post here again until I do, I expect this may be the last post in this thread, but I won’t pull you up on that if your next post includes a response to my previous questions.
If not, then hopefully this will encourage others to ask questions as I have, and be suspicious of those who won’t reply and get aggressive.
Tim
msfireboy Says:
19 February 2006 at 21:27.
My – there seems to be a bit too much heat in this blog….I’d like to address a legitimate question placed by Terry way back in June 05. Mate I have MS and I have a Segway. It is life & breath to me enabling me to travel places and in ways that are just not possible in a wheelchair – powered or manual. What is notable is that I don’t encounter the stigma that is inevitably associated with a chair.
I also do this 100% legally with a dispensation from the NSW RTA for use of my Segway as a mobility device.
If you haven’t tried one I encourage you to do so.
Garry
nnn Says:
7 April 2006 at 03:16.
why would i pay 9,000 for someting that i can’t use
Bad News for Segway people Says:
14 September 2006 at 12:06.
Sorry guys, but the Segway is still a $9000 piece of gear that you can’t use outside your yard/office.
Get your act together if you want to sell any of these things. Seriously.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20278593-11869,00.html
Steve Says:
15 September 2006 at 14:39.
Isn’t it more of a case of the Australian regulatory bodies getting their acts together?
Segways have been approved for use in most of the US and other parts of the world. Why, once again, is Australia so backward?
Craig Says:
4 October 2007 at 13:20.
Michael
I would also like to see the answers to Tims questions without going through the drama of a quote and the constant phone calls that come after.
If they are legit in NSW for able bodied people I would like to know, I’ve lost my licence for a while and the Segway would be a great alternative form of transport. Last time I saw a Segway on NSW roads the owner was getting a ticket from the local plod.
Craig
andrew saver Says:
23 October 2008 at 01:42.
The Segway is a cool, if very expensive device. The inventor is a genius, but hopeless at ethical marketing. I suspect that many markerters world wide are like car sales people, they take your money, and wash their hands of you once they have it. I have often considered buying one, but the follow up service component has put me off time after time. I live in Brisbane, and have seen a couple. I am presently investigating what Queensland Transport calls a “Road Related Area”. But even if I find out I can ride one to work and back along the footpath, I am still caught in the same “poor follow up service loop”. If I do buy one, it will probably be on the understanding that I’ll have to buy spares online from the USA.
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