Lembit Opik to lead charge of the Segway brigade
MPS and peers will deliberately set out to break the law tomorrow when they stage a silent, low-speed charge on the Houses of Parliament.
Lembit Opik will be joined by two lords as they head a convoy of two-wheeled Segway transporters, which travel at a brisk jogging pace.
They say the zero-emission vehicles could be the answer to London's congestion problem.
Segways cost £4,399, have a top speed of 12.5mph and a range of 24 miles. But the devices - widely used in America and parts of Europe - are banned from roads in Britain under what critics say are "archaic" regulations.
The protesters are calling for the law to be overturned so commuters can use the machine, which is claimed to be four times more fuel-efficient than the Toyota-Prius. "It is madness to make using these machines illegal," Mr Opik said.
"I would rather be arrested and go to court than let the Government obstruct the use of this ingenious contraption that is already being used by hundreds of police forces around the world. It travels at 4mph - faster than the average speed of traffic in London.
"It is about as safe as walking, and a lot of fun. It would encourage people to leave the car at home." Mr Opik will be backed tomorrow by Conservative peers Lord Attlee and the Earl of Liverpool as well as Labour MP Steve Pound.
The electric-powered US-built Segway is virtually silent, emission-free and can be charged from a wall socket for a few pence a day. It has already been adopted by stars including Jennifer Aniston and Jim Carrey.
It made headlines when George Bush rode on one - and promptly fell off.