Ok. I think I'll call them and change to another model. I don't want to risk being denied bus transport. We'll be at AKL and so we'll be bussing everywhere.
Re: insurance and buying (or renting) one for at home - At this point, he's very early in the recovery and until we know what residual deficits will be permanent, insurance has provided him with a walker, shower chair and PT. If he's unable to regain a good sense of balance or any significant endurance/stamina or motor control, then I suppose we, our MD and the insurance company will have to look at what coverages we have and what's appropriate. They won't consider any of his deficits permanent until 3-6 months post-stroke and post-PT.
I would definitely have him try and practice with the scooters in malls or supermarkets and Target/Walmart before you go. An ECV may be perfect for him, but he would need to transfer out to almost every ride, which he may find difficult from some scooters. Some scooters, I am not sure what models, have a chair that swivels to the side. This may be especially helpful for transferring. I would ask in an independent thread about things like that - there may be other people who have experiences with strokes and scooters and have good ideas.
He will need to be able to control the scooter safely in a crowded environment, so I would suggest he practice in Target or someplace like it before he gets there. This will give him a better idea of how hard it is going to be, and what he may be looking for in a scooter.
Something else to note is that scooters, unlike powerchairs, so not have lap belts and the arms are really not meant to keep a person "in." If his balance is such that he may fall from the scooter seat, you may want to consider renting a wheelchair, which will have more substantial sides.