New restrictions on electronic scooters or Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) will come into place after the Government, who implemented a new set of rules a few weeks ago regarding the road safety, said it has accepted all recommendations put forward by Active Mobility Advisory Panel studying the use of the devices on Wednesday.
As per the recommendations, e-scooter riders, at least 16-year-old, can ride on cycling paths and PMD users under 16 will have to be supervised by adults. Users will also have to pass a theory test, a requirement which will be extended to electric bicycle users before they are allowed to ride on cycling paths and the roads, said the authority.
E-scooter ban on footpaths
It should be noted that recently, to ensure the safety of the pedestrians Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min said that in the past two years the government put in great efforts to promote the safe use of motorised personal mobility devices but "Despite significant efforts, we continue to encounter errant riders who use non-compliant devices and ride dangerously." So the government has decided to ban the e-scooters from the footpath.
As per the new rules, if anyone found breaking the new rules, the offender will face a fine up to $2,000 and/or a jail term up to three months once the ban is strictly enforced from 2020.
After the ban, the Government also launched a seven million dollar programme to encourage food delivery riders to trade in their e-scooters for other devices.
Latest regulations
It should be noted that the food delivery companies and other companies use e-scooter riders will have to acquire third-party liability insurance for them. As per the Ministry of Transport, this step was taken in a process for a move towards mandatory insurance for all e-scooter users. All active mobility riders are not allowed to use mobile phones while riding on both cycling paths and roads.
The recommendations
The Active Mobility Advisory Panel, which was set up in 2015, submitted the recommendations to Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in September to improve safety for public path users in Singapore. This panel also proposed several measures in 2018 including the mandatory registration of e-scooters and the lowering of speed limits on footpaths.
As mentioned by the transport ministry the new recommendations by the panel were timely and will complement existing efforts to improve path and road safety. Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min wrote in a Facebook post that the panel made difficult but balanced recommendations.
