Usain Bolt brings his e-scooter to Japan despite regulatory road bumps

e-Scooters are amazing. Very convenient and not that expensive. The issue with them is that they rely on people not ruining it for everyone. Sadly, you have some real irresponsible people out there and they are making it hard for everyone.

please go away and take your idiotic scooters with you, those things are a hazard and extreme annoyance on the road, it is enough we need to deal with taxies and uber eats idiots already.

Not scooters but electric bikes where the rider can rest and have more stability-scooters are just toys.

How many people do drivers kill every day in Japan alone? day after day.

Whats the impact of scooters by comparison.

Why don’t you just run with your running shoes on? That’s what Mr Bolt is good at and is more environmentally friendly.

Shudder to think how they'd affect my town, Kumamoto. The sidewalks and streets are already too narrow and filled with pedestrians, traffic, and various obstructions. This is not America.

These things are a menace with no redeeming social value. While some claim scooters may "replace some short car trips", odds are they replace a lot more walking and biking on a street.

The worst possible outcome is passing a bunch of rules permitting these things that no one ends up enforcing. Anything but a ban seems destined for such a fate.

The money spent dealing with the legal issues and ER visits caused by scooters could be much better spent on bike lanes.

My opinion is that motorized vehicles, other than wheelchairs, have no place in pedestrian zones.

Never been into escooteers, segways, hoverboards etc (GOB arrested development lol) they scream hipsters/douche/ massive W to me.

The issue with them is that they rely on people not ruining it for everyone. 

Very true, and an issue with a lot of things unfortunately. The minuses are mostly due to human irresponsibility.

The thing you have to consider here is that if the motor car did not exist, you would have huge problems introducing it. Imagine the pollution, noise, parking, deaths from irresponsible driving, trash from being ultimately scrapped, need paved roads of a certain width, and all the other issues people would have. So while there are issues with e-bikes, e-scooters and other new forms of mobility, they are nothing compared to what people who do not drive themselves have to put up with with cars (we own two cars ourselves).

As a cyclist, I struggle to see what e-scooters provide that e-bikes don't. I pedal myself, but there are some great e-bikes out there. You can do a 30-40km commute on one without needing to be a hardcore cyclist.

As with so many things, including bicycles, I think the regulations for the country and the city need to be different. There is no way these scooters should be on the sidewalk in Tokyo but out here in the country the sidewalks are practically empty. Meanwhile traffic might be congested enough in Tokyo that they are safe on the street, but here in the country ridding on the street is extremely dangerous because cars can get up to speed but the roads still are not very wide, sometimes for having ample but empty sidewalks.

I have nothing in particular against these, but the environmental claims are pretty disingenuous. Unless they are replacing that would otherwise be made by car/motorbike, they are having no positive environmental impact at all. In fact, given that Japan seems to be moving back to carbon-based electricity generation, they're arguably going to be a negative. As @crazyjoe pointed out, it seems quite likely that they will mostly be used to replace walking and cycling.

The name on the bike looks like DOLT from here.

People in London ride them around the city despite it being illegal. The cops there are half-hearted in trying to enforce the law. As zichi has said, several deaths so far, not from hitting people, but being hit on such a vulnerable device. Nice idea, but good luck with that.

No way it's bad enough on sidewalks.

Image getting hit by an E-scooter rider using a smartphone.

oh and bolt is not really a running advocate.. there is quite a bit of difference between hitting 400m at super speeds and running all day

Until we get a pink floating hoverboard from Mattel, I don't want to hear about any scooters or skateboards or anything else that has wheels.

It's like a baby's toy.

Anyone knows the laws about E-bicycles in Tokyo or Saitama? Can you buy and use full electric ones? Not the assist ones currently sell in the stores.

Only works in Taiwan and SouthEast Asian Countries.

And why these celebrities go for rich nations only? They are already dping what they can. So, Why don't they visit developing countries first and teach those about the proper environment if they really want to save the planet.

Perhaps they just want to highlight their status time to time, for the extra money and free stuff?

The stats on e-scooter injuries and deaths, are a sobering cloud over the Eco hype.

They are terrific fun and I really hope that Japan let’s Lime set up business here. I’d love to fly my drone whilst bombing around the festivals on one in summer after a few cold

Turning roads into daytime walk ways has happened in many cities across the globe. In Japan we don't live in a liberal and republican world.

I never said that or even alluded to that, you brought that up.

Even Oxford Street in London had the road width narrowed and only buses and taxi allowed.

I could care less what goes on in London.

Currently none assist e-bike are not allowed because they would be required to use the road and young mothers carrying children would then be on the road. The child too would be required to wear a safety helmet. Way too dangerous.

I disagree I think they would definitely be easier and more environmentally efficient to run.

Hoover boards too are not allowed on public roads. 

Hoverboards? We are not talking about them.

e-scooters are allowed on the roads but once people start getting killed there might be a change to that.

Then you should ban bikes as well.

Only pedestrians and disabled people scooters can use the sideway in Japan. By law, bicycles, roller blades, scooters are not allowed... even if that law is widely ignored, cops can revive it. They were quick to give fines to roller blades when the trend started in Kansai. Scooters will get same fate.

In most countries E-scooter are supposed to be like bicycles, it 's not allowed to over power (but in Europe, many idiots do and get their Darwin award on tombstone quickly).

Can you buy and use full electric ones? Not the assist ones currently sell in the stores.

I guess that as a "full electric", you mean something powered at 30 to 40km/hour ?

Powered at more than a certain speed (I have not checked for Japan, probably 25 km/hour, maybe less), it's not longer a bicycle.

You'll be in the small motorbike category 50 cc otobai (license, big helmet, gloves, registration, insurance... ). They are shaped like vespas, as it's more convenient to design the battery storage. E-vino for instance. Having them shaped like bicycle has no interest but is technically possible to import into Japan and get allowed. You won"t be allowed to use cycling lanes anyway.

The child too would be required to wear a safety helmet. 

They should, whatever the cycle/scooter type. Parents should think of it themselves. And all those on the road, carrying their babies like grocery bags are idiots.

The speeds on these scooters can do will cause very serious injuries should accidents happen.

It'll only take one accident towards a child to really make you think whether if it is worth it.

It can be allowed but it needs to be very heavily regulated, current narrow walkways have many blind spots not intended for such vehicles.

While bicycles are just as dangerous but you won't be able to sustain speed and hence a less forceful collision.

Is it really that ecological given that it can only transport 1?

Escooters need to regulated like normal motorcycles requiring a license and only on roads, it is clearly shown in other countries and this system does not work properly.

I can see this can be slightly useful in a less dense location but don't do it in the city.