Record numbers of
tourists are traveling to Japan to take advantage of the weakness of the Japanese yen. Some tourists are running into trouble with
Japanese authorities because they ride suitcases
with electric motors in places where they must not be used.
Electric
motorized suitcases were designed to get
people quickly around airports and train stations. Japanese authorities are
facing a rise in incidents of foreign visitors using them
illegally on public roads.
Electric suitcases are very
popular in Asia. However, in Japan motorized vehicles must be used inside
buildings. Riders can only use them on roads with the required safety equipment
and a driver's license.
A Chinese woman became the
first person to be arrested in Japan in June for unlicensed driving of a
three-wheeled electric suitcase on a sidewalk in Osaka.
In early July, a boy from
Indonesia rode an electric suitcase through a crowd of pedestrians on a street
of Osaka's Dotonbori district, one of the busiest shopping areas in Japan. His
family was very surprised when police told them that riding electric suitcases
on roads is illegal in Japan. The family was shocked because in Indonesia people
can use them anywhere.
An electric suitcase has a
built-in battery and an electric motor and can travel at around 10 kilometers
per hour. Those sold in Japan are priced at around 100,000 yen ($640).
Under Japanese traffic law,
the suitcases are defined as "motorized bicycles," a category that
includes mini motorcycles with 50 cc or smaller engines. As such, they must be
registered and equipped with a rear view mirror and with turn signals. Drivers must
wear a helmet and carry liability insurance.
"Unexpected new forms
of transport will continue to emerge," said Takeru Shibayama, a senior
scientist at the Vienna University of Technology's Institute for Transportation.
“Japan must discuss a new classification of motorized bicycles to prevent
accidents involving suitcases”.
Article from Kyodonews and Daily Mail
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