A Singaporean teenager, 19, was captured in a video while riding his personal mobility device (PMD) on the roof of a sheltered walkway on Monday, November 18. Police said they received a report on Tuesday and arrested the teen for committing a rash act along Lompang Road in Bukit Panjang. The 28-second video went viral on social media that showed the teen was riding the PMD on the roof and at one point dismounting and pushing the device before riding again.
The captured video of this recent incident was surfaced online with a caption, "No riding on the pavement; No riding on grass; Ride on shelter." It showed that the teen, dressed in a white T-shirt, riding a PMD on top of the walkway shelter.
It should be noted that the government banned e-scooters on the footpath from November 5 to ensure public safety. The use of such vehicles remains banned on roads but Singaporean can use these devices on cycling paths and park connector networks. If anyone found breaking the new rules, the offender will face a fine up to $2,000 and/or a jail term for up to three months.
The authorities said they will mainly issue warnings to errant riders, but a zero-tolerance approach will be taken from 2020. All the users of these vehicles should know that e-scooters will be confined to 440 km of cycling paths islandwide, instead of 5,500 km that footpath riders could use before. The ban will be extended to other motorized personal mobility devices or PMDs in the first quarter of 2020, including hoverboards and unicycles. It should be mentioned that currently there are 100,000 registered e-scooters in Singapore.
Earlier this month National Parks Board said PMD users should not ride on the green verges beside footpaths without permission. If convicted of overlooking the rules, offenders can be fined up to $5,000.
