On Dec 14, the Active Mobility Advisory Panel proposed a new set of rules restricting the use of personal mobility aids (PMAs).

The additional restrictions included reducing the speed limit of motorised PMAs from 10kmh to 6kmh, and restricting mobility scooters to users with health conditions or certified walking difficulties. 

The panel studied rules and regulations in jurisdictions overseas while reviewing the current rules.

Here’s a look at PMA regulations in different places worldwide. 

Where mobility aids are allowed

In Singapore, PMAs are allowed on all public paths and in many indoor spaces such as shopping malls and supermarkets, but they are banned on roads.

In the United States, state and local governments and businesses must allow persons with disabilities who use mobility devices into all areas that members of the public are allowed to enter, according to the Department of Justice.

Businesses may establish rules such as those to limit the speed of such devices or to specify no-go areas within the premises. 

In places such as the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada, PMAs are allowed on most public transport vehicles. 

In the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, they are allowed on roads, but not on motorways – roads meant for fast traffic with traffic in both directions.

In most parts of Australia such as Queensland and South Australia, motorised scooters and wheelchairs are allowed on footpaths, nature strips – the piece of land outside a property between the footpath and the street – and roads.

In Guangzhou city in China, there are no regulations on electric wheelchairs, and they are not subjected to any traffic rules as they do not use petrol and fuel. Users have been seen riding these vehicles on roads.

Speed limits

In the United Kingdom, motorised wheelchairs and scooters cannot travel faster than 6.4kmh on pavements and pedestrian walkways. On roads, they are allowed to travel at a speed of up to 12.9kmh. 

In Canberra and Victoria in Australia, mobility scooters and wheelchairs must have a maximum capable speed of 10kmh on level ground. 

Size and weight restrictions 

In New South Wales and Victoria, mobility devices must have a maximum unladen weight of 110kg. 

In the Netherlands, the maximum height, width and length of mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs are 2m, 1.1m and 3.5m, respectively. 

In trains, the vehicle must be no more than 150cm long, 70cm wide and 137.5cm high, to fit into the train, lifts and on wheelchair ramps. The maximum laden weight must not exceed 300kg. 

In bullet trains in Taiwan, mobility scooters and wheelchairs, referred to as medical assistive devices, must not exceed 125cm in length, 90cm in width and 185cm in height.

In Japan, for certain train services such as the shinkansen and a few express trains, the mobility scooter must have a maximum length of 120cm and width of 70cm. If these requirements are not fulfilled, passengers can enter multi-purpose rooms or vestibules on the trains.

Registration requirements

In Singapore, users and retailers do not need to register their PMAs or possess a licence to ride them.

In Queensland, mobility scooters and wheelchairs must be registered. A device can be registered to a person with mobility difficulties, an organisation where the device is used by its residents, or a carer of a person with mobility difficulties.

Upon successful registration, users will receive a number plate and a certificate.

In the United Kingdom, users have to register the class of mobility scooters permitted for use on roads. Users must also be over 14 years of age.

For scooters that cannot be used on roads and have a maximum speed of 4mph, there is no registration or age requirement.