DUBAI // Shopping malls in Dubai have been ordered to ban motor boards, the latest toy craze also known as “hoverboards”.
Regulators at the Department of Economic Development said they had received complaints from the public and from shopkeepers, and in cooperation with the malls they would be putting up signs banning the toys.
“Mall visitors are requested to cooperate and adhere to the ban to prevent inconvenience and damage to both traders as well as other visitors,” said Abdul Aziz Al Tannak, director of commercial control at the department.
“We also call on parents to prevent their children from using these devices in malls to avoid accidents and any legal liability that may follow.”
Hoverboards – they don’t actually hover – are two-wheeled electric scooters with an internal self-balancing mechanism, similar to a Segway but without handlebars.
They were invented in China two years ago but have shot to worldwide prominence this year because of their adoption by entertainment celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Wiz Khalifa.
Despite the boards’ popularity, shoppers have welcomed the order to ban them from malls.
“I was at Cedre shopping centre, a small mall, when I saw about seven kids hanging out near one of the entrances,” said May Ahmed, 27, from Silicon Oasis.
“It’s one thing to have a person on a scooter, but a group of people riding hoverboards seems a little dangerous in such a small centre. I don’t think the contraption is necessarily a bad thing, but there’s a time and place for it, preferably in parks where there is space ... and no cars.”
Hania Hoss, 29, also from Dubai, said: “I don’t think hoverboards should be used in malls – a shopping centre is not a playground. There are dedicated areas for kids to play, and a mall would not be safe for the children or the shoppers.”
Rania Maroun, 28, also said that the use of hoverboards in indoor malls posed a danger.
“It’s bad enough when children are running around in shopping centres, but to have them on speedier methods of transport would pose a greater danger. You wouldn’t let children roller blade in shopping centres, why let them use the scooters?”
Rabia Khalid, 26, thought the ban was a step in the right direction to keep children and shoppers safe.
“The scooters look great, but I don’t think malls are the place for them. Are people expected to clear the way so that those with hoverboards can pass through?
“I understand malls in the UAE are not just malls but rather a social space. With hoverboards, however, it just doesn’t work.
“Allowing hoverboards would create the same problems it would if children were allowed to bring their bikes.”
Ms Khalid said hoverboards should be used only in designated areas.
“I’m not sure how much the person on the hoverboard is in control of the device. There are little kids, families and elderly people in the mall.”
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
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