4 ms·

There’s some in Tokyo as a trial and they are so much more pleasant. Can only be parked on private property (you can sign up to host them at your business), and

There’s some in Tokyo as a trial and they are so much more pleasant. Can only be parked on private property (you can sign up to host them at your business), and they are lightweight since they apparently don’t need to be designed to withstand vandalism. They are supposed to only be used on the road, and you need a drivers license to operate them. The only downside is they can only go 15km/h and feel a bit dangerously slow in traffic at times.

oblio 4y ago
You probably shouldn't be in traffic with them. At 15kmph bike lanes and even sidewalks look like good options.
- oblio 4y ago
  Downvoters: how is a scooter going max 15kmph a danger to pedestrians? For sure it is a danger to its rider if put next to cars. For the metrically challenged, that's a top speed of less than 9mph. It's not even the top running speed of the average person... Note, are we talking about Vespa style scooters or kick-style scooters? For the second, yeah, if capped at low speeds, should be fine on sidewalks.
  - johnwalkr 4y ago
    Kick-style but no, scooters on sidewalks in Tokyo would be terrible (for both pedestrians and scooterers).
- johnwalkr 4y ago
  Well for the most part, roads in Tokyo are narrow and shared by bikes, and on residential streets there are are also no separated sidewalks (pedestrians walk on the shoulder). Some larger roads have a road-based bike lane plus a separated sidewalk and some have a separated sidewalk with a sidewalk-based bike lane. You are allowed to ride the scooters on the road and road-based bike lanes. This is consistent with rules for other types of vehicles such as e-bikes and it mostly works well. I just wish the speed limiter was 25km/h (same as e-bikes) instead of 15km/h, because it's being passed by all other vehicles constantly that feels a bit sketchy.

4 ms·

There’s some in Tokyo as a trial and they are so much more pleasant. Can only be parked on private property (you can sign up to host them at your business), and

by johnwalkr 4y ago

oblio 4y ago
You probably shouldn't be in traffic with them. At 15kmph bike lanes and even sidewalks look like good options.
- oblio 4y ago
  Downvoters: how is a scooter going max 15kmph a danger to pedestrians? For sure it is a danger to its rider if put next to cars. For the metrically challenged, that's a top speed of less than 9mph. It's not even the top running speed of the average person... Note, are we talking about Vespa style scooters or kick-style scooters? For the second, yeah, if capped at low speeds, should be fine on sidewalks.
  - johnwalkr 4y ago
    Kick-style but no, scooters on sidewalks in Tokyo would be terrible (for both pedestrians and scooterers).
- johnwalkr 4y ago
  Well for the most part, roads in Tokyo are narrow and shared by bikes, and on residential streets there are are also no separated sidewalks (pedestrians walk on the shoulder). Some larger roads have a road-based bike lane plus a separated sidewalk and some have a separated sidewalk with a sidewalk-based bike lane. You are allowed to ride the scooters on the road and road-based bike lanes. This is consistent with rules for other types of vehicles such as e-bikes and it mostly works well. I just wish the speed limiter was 25km/h (same as e-bikes) instead of 15km/h, because it's being passed by all other vehicles constantly that feels a bit sketchy.