Parliament: MPs call for PMD bans at void decks and footpaths

Citing concerns about the rise in accidents involving personal mobility devices (PMDs), several MPs yesterday called for them to be banned from footpaths and void deck spaces.

Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) and Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) asked in Parliament if the Government would consider following Paris' lead and ban PMDs from footpaths.

The French capital will ban electric scooters, the most common type of PMD, from September after a backlash following congestion and accidents.

Ms Lee said the Transport Ministry (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) were fixated in their thinking, as by allowing PMDs on footpaths, they were shifting more risk to pedestrians.

She cited the recent case of a jogger who suffered brain injury after a power-assisted bicycle hit him on a footpath near Marina Bay Sands.

Her residents had also raised concerns to her, including one whose year-old accident was still unresolved and another who was molested by an e-scooter rider, Ms Lee added.

Ms Pereira said many of her residents no longer feel safe walking on park connectors.

She asked: "How severe (does) the situation have to be in terms of number and severity of accidents before the ministry will consider banning PMDs on pavements and footpaths?"

Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok SMC) and Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) also called on MOT to ban e-scooter use from void deck spaces after a spate of accidents.

In response, Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min said MOT has no plans to ban the use of PMDs in void deck spaces or on footpaths.

He said banning PMDs and other active mobility devices from footpaths was not the solution, as users would have to use the roads, which poses more risks to them and motorists.

"We all understand that the severity of injuries, should an accident happen on the roads, can be even more serious and fatality more likely," he added.

LOCAL CONTEXT

Dr Lam said that while the MOT will continue studying e-scooter regulations in other countries, Singapore has to tailor its approach to the local context.

Under the Active Mobility Act (AMA), e-scooters are not allowed on roads while e-bikes are not allowed on footpaths.

Highlighting the reduction of footpath speed limits from 15kmh to 10kmh for e-scooters and the mandatory registration regime from July, Dr Lam said that LTA conducts regular enforcement at hot spots.

To date, more than 1,630 individuals have been caught for e-scooter-related offences.

He noted that Housing Board void decks, including mailbox areas and lift lobbies, are exempted from the AMA as they are not considered public paths.

"Town councils can set and enforce their own rules on the usage of personal mobility devices in such areas, including banning their use," he said.

Mr Pillai and Mr Singh urged MOT to take the lead in banning e-scooter use in void decks instead of leaving it to the town councils.

Calling this an "area of need", Mr Pillai referred to an accident last month in his ward, where a woman, 65, was hit by a food delivery PMD rider while checking her mailbox.

He said: "There would be no real difference in opinions of all the town councils.

"They all want the ground-floor lift lobbies and the letterbox areas to be safe for residents."

Mr Singh agreed: "Wouldn't it be more compelling for the AMA to actually cover non-use of PMDs at void decks, rather than each individual town council having to implement rules for that purpose?"

Dr Lam said MOT allows town councils to exercise flexibility based on their needs.

MOT was also discussing with LTA and the Attorney-General's Chambers whether to allow town council employees to be appointed as public path wardens, he added.