With its relatively flat landscape and low speed limit, Bermuda seems the ideal place to zoom about on the self-balancing Segway Human Transporter.

Local distributor Robert Territo hopes that these conditions, combined with Bermuda’s growing interest in environmental issues, will encourage residents to switch to this alternative means of transport.

The Segway is used across the globe by dozens of police departments and security organisations in community policing efforts, tourism, business sectors and the military.

The scooter, which resembles an old fashioned push lawnmower, is the brainchild of award-winning inventor Dean Kamen, who also developed the first insulin pump, a briefcase-sized dialysis machine, and a wheelchair that can climb stairs.

With the former chairman of the Bermuda Road Safety Council, Dr. Joseph Froncioni, as a consultant, the Segway recently received the thumbs up by the Transport Control Department (TCD) after a year and a half of testing and since then, Mr. Territo says he can barely keep up with demand.

Mr. Territo, who lives in the western end of the Island, rides his Segway to Rockaway dock every day, boards the ferry and arrives at work stress-free.

“The dock at Rockaway is packed with cars,” he points out. “All these commuters could use the Segway to get to the dock from home instead.”

“Everyone else is stuck in traffic, spending too much money on gas and wasting time looking for parking spots. I don’t have to do any of that,” he chuckles.

However, Mr. Territo is adamant the Segway is not meant to replace walking, just alleviate traffic on Bermuda’s already congested roads by offering the consumer a means of transport for distances too far to walk, yet too short to justify using a car or bike.

He maintains that it is important for Bermuda to find intelligent means of transportation as the population and tourism grows: “We need to find transportation which has a low impact on the environment, especially after studies found that pollution in Hamilton was equal to that of certain parts of London and scooters are mainly to blame.”

As for riding the Segway, he explains the dynamics behind the human transporter: “It can self-balance because of technology called dynamic stabilisation, which works in very much the same way as your own sense of balance does.

“Where you have an inner ear, eyes, muscles and a brain to keep you balanced, the Segway has solid-state gyroscopes, tilt sensors, high-speed microprocessors, and powerful electric motors performing to keep it balanced.”

Mr. Territo elaborates that it senses your centre of gravity, instantaneously assess the information, and makes minute adjustments one hundred times a second.

“So whether you’re travelling at 10 miles per hour, carrying a heavy load, slowly manoeuvring in tight spaces, or standing perfectly still, the Segway keeps its balance,” he adds.

What comes as a surprise to many, he continues, is that the Segway has no accelerator and no brakes: “By leaning forward you move forward, to stop you simply straighten up and to reverse you lean back, while turning is regulated by rotating the steering grip under your wrist in either direction.”

The electric scooter can cover a distance of about 20 miles at a top speed of between 12 and 14 miles per hour before the lithium-ion rechargeable battery needs to recharge.

Recharging the lithium-ion battery, which is also environmentally friendly, takes about five hours and 20 cents’ worth of electricity to fully charge.The Segway retails in Bermuda for $4,900.