Forum: Classify mobility scooters as medical devices

The abuse of personal mobility aids (PMAs) by able-bodied persons, and the frequency of PMA fires, have been on the rise due to the proliferation of such devices in recent years.

As the problem stems primarily from mobility scooters rather than electric wheelchairs, the Government has crafted new regulations that restrict the use of mobility scooters to those with certified medical needs, to be implemented in 2026.

According to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) website, if a product is intended to compensate for an injury, it is considered a medical device and governed under the Health Products Act and its Health Products (Medical Devices) Regulations 2010.

Based on this definition, mobility scooters should also be considered as Class A medical devices, the same category as motorised wheelchairs.

Despite this, HSA does not classify mobility scooters as medical devices. This has opened the floodgate for unlicensed vendors, such as online sellers (local and overseas), and bicycle shops to import mobility scooters, many of which are non-compliant with Land Transport Authority (LTA) standards.

As it is a matter of public interest, I urge the HSA to reconsider its stand and classify mobility scooters as medical devices.

Subjecting mobility scooter importers to existing medical device regulations will require them to maintain an importer’s licence with HSA and also comply with strict quality standards regarding the storage, distribution and recall of medical devices.

This will limit the number of PMA sellers and make it much easier for LTA to enforce the new rules in 2026.

In many developed countries such as the US and in Europe, mobility scooters are classified as medical devices. I suggest that we do the same.

Warren Chew