Malls in Eastern Province bar entry of hoverboards

DAMMAM: Commercial establishments, such as malls, in the Eastern Province decided to prevent the entry of all types of hoverboards inside malls after complaints from visitors, a step previously taken by the United Arab Emirates, a local publication reported.
Security personnel were seen preventing hoverboards from entering commercial complexes in the region during a visit by the publication.
Security officers said they received strict instructions from the management of malls to prevent the entry of all types of scooters because families complained about them saying that they annoy them, especially the movements of youngsters which sometimes injure visitors and harass them while shopping.
The managements of commercial complexes noted that visitors fear the risks hoverboards pose, mainly after news about faulty batteries that may result in incidents of fire or explosion. Experiences in some countries revealed such incidents because of rising temperatures, causing fires and injuries to users and other people around, especially if the battery was of poor quality.
Recently shop owners complained against damages to their shops as a result of scooter crashes into glass display windows which caused considerable loss to owners. This prompted the management of commercial complexes to intervene and prevent the entry of scooters inside their premises to create an ideal environment for shopping without any material or health damages.
The move comes days after the decision by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to ban the selling of the “Smart Scooter” in toy shops. The ministry did not classify the scooters among quality games allowed for sale to persons under 16 years of age, and restricted selling the commodity to sports shops and for persons of legal age.
Hoverboards became widespread in Saudi and some Arab markets late last year. The device has since been widely seen in public parks and commercial complexes, accompanied by a rise in the number of accidents as a result of its use because of falls or the explosion of its battery. European countries, such as Germany, France and Britain, either totally ban its use, or limit it as much as possible. 
The United Arab Emirates recently decided to ban its use inside commercial complexes.