Segway Tours back on a roll
Knysna Segway Tours is back in business – despite some “unresolved issues” with the municipality, according to owner Johnny Innes.
In an article published last week, Innes claimed he was shut down earlier in October by the municipality, who said his operation is a risk to the public, among other concerns.
The municipality said in a statement that Segway Tours was instructed to cease its operations as it did not have the necessary permits or consent from the municipality to operate on a public road or walkway.
“The decision of the municipality was to protect both Segway Tours and the public at large. The municipality owes a duty of care to all its residents and must ensure that any business which operates on public roads or walkways are done safely and in compliance with any rules or regulations. The municipality previously advised Segway Tours of our requirements and unfortunately they did not heed our request or advices,” reads a statement from the municipality.
This week, Innes said he was notified that his business is once again allowed on the lagoon-side of Mitchell’s Brewery and the Costa Sarda area.
He reiterated that he follows strict safety precautions and this is always communicated to his clients, and that he does not believe that “safety” was the reason behind the municipality’s problem with him.
“The whole issue surfaced when I set up a gazebo on Long Street to attract customers. I still want to do this and have applied for a permit for Long Street. I’m back to operating at Mitchell’s, but I can’t set up a gazebo because there’s no business, I’m working only on bookings at the moment,” said Innes.
He said he would continue to follow up with the municipality regarding the Long Street permit and is now focused on making ends meet as his business was closed for a significant part of the month.