The Straits Times editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang's reflections on the simmering personal mobility device issue (There is no one, easy solution to PMD issue, Nov 24) are quite convincing.

I agree that the issue is complex, and many interests should be accommodated.

But following the discussions in Singapore and European countries, I feel that the basic assumption about PMDs is not sufficiently clarified.

I have problems accepting the assumption that they serve "the first and last miles" of a journey, which Mr Han even extends to the next MRT station or bus stop.

With the fabulous public transport system here, this "last mile" is an easy walking distance of 10 minutes.

My daily experiences as a pedestrian and occasional cyclist are somewhat different from this last-mile assumption.

The PMD users whom I see regularly are in the following categories: delivery riders, young mothers taking their children to school or shopping for groceries, teenagers who enjoy speeding with loud music, especially on weekends, and a few adults heading to their workplaces.

The most cautious users are - no surprise - the mothers, though some travel rather fast as well, even while riding with children. The most daring - also no surprise - are the teenagers.

An alternative solution for delivery riders, if they do not want to turn to riding bicycles or motorbikes, could be the European model of having cycling tracks on the roads, marked by yellow stripes, like bus and taxi lanes.

In many cities in Europe, this takes away about 1m of road space and slows down car traffic to a certain degree.

Since food delivery takes place predominantly in the heartland areas, these less busy roads with a little less room for speeding cars would help a lot and keep the walkways safe.

The shared-path solution, as we have seen, is too dangerous, not only for vulnerable pedestrians.

Wolfgang Sachsenroder (Dr)