Forum: When PMD rider, 94, is blocked by pedestrians
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While I applaud moves to rein in personal mobility device (PMD) riders who treat their devices like COE-free motorbikes, we must not overlook the legitimate users whose lives depend on them.
My 94-year-old father is a sharp, active person who suffers from debilitating knee osteoarthritis. For him, a PMD is not a luxury or a shortcut; it is a godsend for an otherwise immobilising condition.
He rides at a walking pace, and often encounters a wall of pedestrians on the path, oblivious to those behind them. He is often forced to “tail” pedestrians who stroll, converse or stop to window-shop. When he gently sounds his bell, the reaction is often one of provocation rather than courtesy. Instead of yielding to an old man, some pedestrians glare or even scold him.
The real issue is a growing lack of civic grace. It is a sad irony that in an ageing society, a 94-year-old man is treated as an intruder for simply trying to move.
We certainly need a stronger stance against errant riders to protect pedestrians. But we must also ask: How are we protecting legitimate, elderly PMD riders from harassment?
Michael Loh Toon Seng (Dr)
