The Corporation of Hamilton will ban push scooters from the City for safety reasons, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Corporation Secretary Roger Sherratt warned earlier this month that the scooters, the latest fad for Island youth, are dangerous to ride on pavements in the city.

He said they can gain speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and pose a threat to pedestrians.

Mr. Sherratt said he had been warned about a recent accident in the city where a pedestrian coming out of The English Sports Shop on Front Street was hit by a scooter.

There have also been reports of youngsters speeding down Washington Lane, and of an incident when children on scooters going down Burnaby Street ran into a crowd of pedestrians on the corner of Front Street and Chatham House.

Several years ago the Corporation banned skateboards and roller skates.

Now, the Corporation is set to clamp down on the scooters as well early next month.

Mr. Sherratt told The Royal Gazette : "We will have to publish an amendment to the `Hamilton Traffic and Sidewalks Ordinance' and in the official Gazette.'' And he said this would probably be done early next month.

He also said the Corporation could make such an amendment using its own power.

"Some matters need review, but this is not one of them ,'' said Mr. Sherratt.

He said the Road Safety Council and the Police were consulted before deciding upon the ban, and the Police and Ministry of Transport had been informed of the changes.

The ban may lead to a dip in sales of the scooters in the run-up to Christmas.

The scooters were expected to be one of the hottest Christmas toys this year, but it is thought some youngsters may decide against them if they cannot ride them in the city.

In the meantime, Mr. Sherratt urged parents to warn their children that they cannot ride their scooters in the city.

Meanwhile a 13-year-old boy could face trial on three traffic charges for riding a children's motorised scooter.

Karl Schmitz was stopped on Clearwater property on Sunday, October 2 and Police told him that riding the motorised scooters was illegal.

The boy's father, Frank Schmitz said he drove his son from Spanish Point to Clearwater to ride the scooter because he read in The Royal Gazette that authorities were looking into asking the Transport Control Department to licence the vehicles.

"The location was specifically selected as an area that I felt was safe for my son and other Bermudians as well as conducive and lawful for this kind of activity.'' said Mr. Schmitz in a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police and the Editor of The Royal Gazette .

"It was never made public that any laws had been changed or finalised as of Sunday afternoon, however I do acknowledge the potential concern so I had taken him to the old base lands, off the busy street.'' said Mr. Schmitz.

Karl was charged with three separate offences under the same act, "just as he would have been, had he taken an uninsured, unlicensed motor bike for a joy ride.'' The 13-year-old was charged with failing to display a number on an auxiliary cycle, driving an auxiliary cycle without having a driver's licence and using an auxiliary cycle without a vehicle licence.

Each offence is payable at $100 each within seven days or Karl will have too appear in court to answer to a Magistrate.

"I have decided to appear in court with my son to plead not guilty and then to appear again for the trial, if for no other reason to try to inform as many parents as possible of the illegal acts, as the Police community relations office is apparently not doing that for us.''