More steps being taken to make PMDs safer

There could even be total ban on them if behaviour of users does not improve: Janil

A PMD user riding along a public path in Orchard Road, on Sept 27, 2019. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Several steps are being taken to address the dangers posed by personal mobility devices (PMDs), but there could even be a complete ban on them if the behaviour of their users does not improve.

The Government may have no choice but to resort to this, Senior Minister of State for Transport Janil Puthucheary said yesterday, as he urged users to be "extra responsible and mindful of others".

Meanwhile, the authorities are reviewing plans to make PMDs safer for pedestrians and mitigate the fire risks they pose, said Dr Janil. The review is expected to be completed in about two months.

Speaking in Parliament, he said new HDB towns will have a clear separation of traffic, with pedestrians on footpaths, active mobility devices on dedicated paths for PMDs and bicycles, and motor vehicles on roads.

But existing towns do not have many dedicated PMD paths, he said.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is in the process of identifying hot spots that need to be made safer.

This could be done by widening footpaths and installing speed-regulating strips, for example.

"We will also speed up development of dedicated paths for PMDs and bicycles," said Dr Janil.

But this process could take time. "Meanwhile, we have to make a decision on where to allow PMDs to be used, other than on dedicated paths for PMDs and bicycles - on footpaths, or on roads, or not at all until the town is ready?"

Dr Janil was responding to three MPs, including Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC), following two recent deaths involving PMDs.

On Sept 24, a 30-year-old man died in hospital after falling off his e-scooter in Tanah Merah Coast Road.

The following day, a 65-year-old woman, Madam Ong Bee Eng, died. Her bicycle was involved in an accident with an e-scooter in Bedok on Sept 21, and Dr Janil said yesterday that the PMD did not comply with regulations and was used illegally.

"Nevertheless, this accident has caused public alarm over the dangers that personal mobility devices pose to others, and heightened fears for the safety of pedestrians using footpaths, particularly the old and the young," he noted.

"We share Singaporeans' concerns... We are determined to improve footpath safety back to levels before PMDs were allowed onto footpaths."

He also said the number of accidents involving PMDs has been rising as their users increase.

There were 228 reported accidents involving PMDs on public paths in 2017 and last year, with 196 resulting in injuries. Of these, there was one death - a PMD rider who skidded and died from his injuries.

PMDs can also be a fire hazard. In the first half of this year, there were 49 PMD fires compared with 52 for all of last year.

In the worst case this year, a 40-year-old man died after a fire at a Bukit Batok flat, where three burnt e-scooters were found.

To address the issue of non-compliant devices that could pose fire risks, Dr Janil said PMD owners will have to send their devices for inspection every two years.

Retailers will also have to get e-scooters inspected and registered before they can sell the devices.

Other than ensuring compliance to a fire safety standard, these inspections will help to detect and weed out illegally modified devices.

LTA is also studying other measures, including import controls, to tackle the problem of non-compliant PMDs.

The penalties for illegal modification and other offences are also being reviewed, Dr Janil said.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 08, 2019, with the headline More steps being taken to make PMDs safer. Subscribe