They may be a bit eccentric. They may be a mobility aid for the infirm. They may even help if you’re running late for a flight.
But now Japan is cracking down on motorised suitcases, the invention
of a Japanese farmer 10 years ago who clearly had nothing better to do
while waiting for his rice harvest to mature.
Some Japanese airports are red lighting motorised suitcases because
of safety concerns, heightened by the risks of their lithium-ion
batteries.
Ride-on suitcases can reach maximum speeds of 13 kilometres per hour ,
not excessively fast but airport authorities believe that in crowded
terminals this presents an unacceptable risk to unwary travellers.
Singapore’s Changi Airport was one of the first to ban ride-on
suitcases.
Now Tokyo’s Haneda Airport banned the use of rideable suitcases in
terminals to avoid collisions with other passengers, according to the
Kyoto News agency.
Narita International Airport has not gone that far, instead issued an
advisory asking passengers in its terminals to monitor their
surroundings due to the increased use of rideable suitcases.
Japan has also enacted laws that require riders of motorised
suitcases to have a driver’s licence to ride beyond airports after a
Chinese woman was apprehended for riding a electric suitcase on a
sidewalk in Osaka.