Ever since the introduction of Personal Mobility Devices (PMD) like e-scooters, there has been an increased number of accidents involving riders and pedestrians.
To combat this, the government has implemented stiffer laws for riders in 2018. But that hasn’t seemed to stop accidents from occurring in 2019.
Addressing the increasing number of accidents, some members of parliament suggests to ban them from being used on footpaths.
However, Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Lam Pin Min said in Parliament on Tues (7 May) that the ministry has “no plans to ban” PMDs on Tuesday (7 May).
Mr Lam explains that PMDs have become a “significant part of our connectivity network”.
Banning them on footpaths will only force the riders to “operate on roads” which will pose “more risk to both the active mobility (device) users and other vehicles including motorbikes, cars, lorries, trucks (and) even buses.”
Hence, travelling on footpaths is ultimately the safer option for everyone.
The ministry also explains that the speed limit on PMDs is enough to keep pedestrians safe.
In 2019, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) decided to reduce speed limits of PMDs from 15km/h to 10km/h. This will supposedly “give PMD users, cyclists, and pedestrians enough time to react to each other.”
Footpaths will have a speed limit of 10km/h for PMDs, while shared paths will have a speed limit of 25km/h.
As there are already strict laws in place, the only issue is bringing errant riders to justice.
Dr Lam suggests that anyone involved in an accident with PMD riders should report it to the police immediately. This will help the authorities identify places where accidents frequently happen and they can take the necessary actions to prevent more.
Anyone who has any concerns can also contact LTA through their hotlines and website.
Riders need to be more aware of people as collisions can potentially cause a fatality. At the same time, pedestrians can keep themselves safe by being more aware of their surroundings.
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