Get Your Steps In! Scooter Bags Banned In Restricted Airport Areas
The Civil Aviation Authority acknowledged the convenience offered by scooter bags or rideable smart baggage but cautions its use in busy areas like the airport’s apron.
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Are you planning to buy a scooter bag or smart baggage to ease your travels? You might want to rethink the decision.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has issued a safety directive to ban the indiscriminate use of smart luggage as a mode of transportation at the airport.
Its CEO Datuk Capt Norazman Mahmud said rideable smart baggage offers convenience to passengers but usage in restricted areas such as the apron poses significant safety risks.
The airport apron is the area where aircrafts load and unload passengers, mail, or cargo. It’s also where the plane is parked for fuelling and maintenance purposes.
As such, Norazman describes the apron as a complex environment with heavy machinery, moving aircraft, ground service vehicles and personnel. Everything carried out in the apron follows strict safety regulations to prevent accidents, collisions, and potential equipment damage.
The video below shows an example of a rideable smart baggage.
@frescobike Airwheel again and again 😁 Stop scrolling TikTok and just buy it already 🤩🤩 what exactly are u waiting for?? #airwheel #luggage #electricwheelchair #luggageworks #portablewheelchair #electricscooter #luggagescooter #smartgadgets #traveltiktok #malaysiaairlines #scooter #luggagebagmurah #frescomalaysia ♬ original sound – FrescoBike
What are the safety precautions to take note of?
Norazman suggested restricting the use of rideable smart baggage to permitted zones. He said clear signage should be placed at entrances to the apron or restricted zones to indicate the prohibition on using smart baggage.
Passengers should also heed speed limits in permitted zones. Meanwhile, passengers and ground personnel should be educated on safe usage practices to ensure everything goes smoothly.
This includes training ground personnel to identify rideable smart baggage and execute proper safety protocols, especially when it comes to handling lithium batteries or other electrical components that may pose safety risks.
Additionally, any smart baggage equipped with electric motors should be powered off when entering the apron and the battery components must be deactivated.
Norazman said passengers should also be notified of the prohibition through pre-flight communication, such as ticketing information and announcements.
Rideable smart baggage face restrictions in other countries too
Scooter bags or smart baggage have also met restrictions in other countries and airlines.
Singapore and Canada have completely banned its usage at airports. Meanwhile, Japan Airlines and Indonesia Airlines also prohibit hoverboards or any small vehicles powered by lithium batteries as checked or carry-on baggage.
Travellers should also be mindful of using their rideable smart luggage while sightseeing in a foreign country as it may not be permitted.
For example, Japanese laws consider scooter bags as motorised bikes and users require a license to ride them in public areas.
A Chinese woman, also a student and Japanese resident, was charged on 25 June 2024 for riding her scooter bag on a pavement in Osaka.
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