Whether it is personal mobility devices (PMDs) turning into a scourge on our footpaths, rental bicycles flooding our Housing Board estates or drones intruding into airport airspace, these problems have been in plain sight for some time now.
The fiasco has once again exposed cracks in the forward planning for our city-state.
Are we investing enough in enlightened city planners who have the foresight to provide for such technological developments that would surely invade our city space?
Do we have contingency plans in masterplans for our city-state to provide for proactive steps, or are we resigned to merely responding to such intrusions in our living environment?
For instance, the sudden influx of shared bicycles laid bare the glaring lack of civic consciousness in residents, some of whom dumped these bicycles onto our pavements and even in drains.
We have had to come up with eleventh-hour solutions to remedy the situation.
Again, with PMDs, a spate of accidents and fires has the authorities fumbling to enact rules and regulations to deal with the nuisance.
Wouldn't it have been better if our planners had been able to foresee such situations and laid out the necessary infrastructure to accommodate them?
I suggest city planners can do better in this area of forecasting to pre-empt problems at the outset before they fester and pose a costly menace, as is the situation now.
Raymond Han
NO EXCEPTIONS FOR BUSINESSES
I am so glad that the Government has banned e-scooters from pedestrian paths. I have been advocating this in the ST Forum for a long time.
No exceptions should be made for businesses, such as food delivery companies.
There is no valid reason to exempt any business at the expense of life and injury to innocent pedestrians.
Business is for profit. Firms have to factor in changes in their operations in accordance with the law.
George Wong Seow Choon (Dr)
NOW FOR ENFORCEMENT
I applaud the long-awaited move to ban e-scooters from footpaths.
Following the latest death, pedestrians have strongly called for a total ban on personal mobility devices (PMDs) from footpaths. This latest regulation is one step closer to this.
However, following the ruling, hopefully there will be enough manpower to enforce it.
The Government should continue to impose stringent regulations on PMDs to protect pedestrians, especially as there will be an even greater number of elderly footpath users in time to come.
Thank you for hearing the cry of pedestrians.
Susan Tan Lin Neo
LOWER PMD SPEED ON CYCLING PATHS
As a senior citizen, I applaud the Government's decision.
I can now use the footpaths to the bus stop, MRT station and my walking exercise area peacefully.
To enhance safety further, I suggest that the Land Transport Authority lower the speed limit of PMDs riding on cycling paths to not more than 15kmh from the current 25kmh.
Andrew Seow Chwee Guan
STRONG DETERRENT NEEDED
The Government's move to ban PMDs from all public footpaths will definitely eliminate the issue of near-misses, injuries or accidents caused by PMD users riding recklessly on footpaths.
For this ban to be effective, will enforcement officers be deployed on the ground daily to catch PMD riders who flout the law?
Will closed-circuit television cameras be installed in every town to act as deterrence?
Strong deterrent measures have to be implemented for the ban to be effective.
Alan Chin Jia Lun
NEW LAW MAY BE EXCESSIVE
While I'm not a personal mobility device (PMD) rider, I am somewhat baffled by the entire debacle and time expended on this matter by Parliament.
On the point of illegal models being sold - how is it that such models have been allowed to be imported to begin with?
Rather than penalising the consumers, should controls not be imposed at the point of import, by Customs?
The recent laws against PMDs on pedestrian pavements also seem excessive, especially as nationwide cycling tracks are not yet ready.
Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to consider laws that punish riders for injuries or death caused by their reckless riding?
Ian Lee Chi Meng
PUNISH ERRANT RIDERS INSTEAD
The punishment meted out to the majority because of the fault of the minority is an untenable proposition.
Understandably, the reverse is now happening: a movement to garner signatures online to ask the authorities to reconsider the ban.
The authorities should punish those who ride recklessly or charge their devices carelessly instead.
Pressure should be placed on those black sheep rather than to throw the book at everyone.
Fines should be enhanced. A very thorough investigation should be launched against those who cause damage or death.
If ultimately this ban on riding on footpaths is upheld, I hope the authorities will enforce the law reasonably and not adhere to it blindly.
Phillip Tan Fong Lip
GRACE PERIOD NEEDED
The ban on e-scooters, though not unexpected, was enacted within a day, leaving many riders who depended on PMDs for a living jobless, and with no time to adapt - in particular, food delivery riders.
I hope the Land Transport Authority will give a grace period for these riders.
Pan Jiahe
