Segway used in Tiananmen Square

Police in Beijing, China are now using Segways to patrol the square, allowing them great visability for the protection of the thousands of visitors who pour into the area every day.

Tiananmn Square is the largest square in the world, completed in 1958 by Chairman Mao Zedong with a capacity of 50,000 people. It is reported that over 100,000 gathered in the saywe folloing the death of former CPC General Secretary Hu Yaobang. The Square is named after the Tiananmen Gate which seperates the Square from the Forbidden City to the north.

This novel use of the Segway follows reports of Chinese special forces training for the 2008 Olympics by using the Segway at speed, balancing whilst using both hands free to use their light automatic weapons in case of an emergency. This military useage of the vehicle is not surprising, as Segway advertise its Robotic Mobiltiy Platform [RMP] on their website, and list all four branches of the US military as clients.

Segway claim that the PT gives enhanced visibility and is excellent for crowd management and community policing. They claim that as at May 2009, over 1,000 police and security operations around the world use the Segway PT, and provide a low cost, zero emmissions, safe and portable method of transport for all weathers.  See www.segway.com

Originally posted 2011-05-30 00:00:00.