Helmets for all, mandatory training for GrabWheels e-scooter users in NUS
SINGAPORE — The National University of Singapore (NUS) has lifted the week-long timeout enforced on the use of e-scooter rental service GrabWheels at its Kent Ridge Campus. At the same time, the university also announced new safety measures for e-scooter usage on its premises.
SINGAPORE — The National University of Singapore (NUS) has lifted the week-long timeout enforced on the use of e-scooter rental service GrabWheels at its Kent Ridge Campus. At the same time, the university also announced new safety measures for e-scooter usage on its premises.
In an internal circular to students and staff members on Friday (March 15), it said that from Saturday, all students and staff members from NUS must wear helmets when using e-scooters on campus. GrabWheels users travelling around the university will also have to undergo mandatory training and pass a test before they can use the service.
The training will be provided by Grab via the Land Transport Authority’s approved vendors and only those who pass the proficiency assessment will be allowed to use the the e-scooter service.
The GrabWheels trial rental service will now be available only from 7am to 11pm daily, instead of 24 hours previously.
NUS had enforced a one-week safety timeout on the service on March 8 after it found that users were not practising safe-riding habits “despite safety reminders”. The university told The Straits Times then that it had received reports of injuries arising from accidents involving GrabWheels users and that a small number required hospital treatment, while one had a more serious injury.
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The e-scooter trial with GrabWheels was announced in November last year to study the feasibility of using e-scooters as an alternative mode of transport on campus.
In the latest internal circular to students and staff members, Dr Peck Thian Guan, director of Office of Safety, Health and Environment at NUS, urged all e-scooter users to ride safely and exercise extreme care when riding in shared spaces in NUS.
Users who do not adhere to the safety guidelines will be issued a warning, suspended or banned from using e-scooters on campus. Campus security will enforce the rules through patrols and closed-circuit television surveillance.
“If a user is found to be riding on roads, pillion-riding, riding without a helmet, and/or riding in a reckless or dangerous manner, the user will be immediately barred from using the e-scooter service,” Dr Peck added.
NUS will also hasten the construction of a dedicated lane for personal mobility devices and pavement improvement works for busy routes, such as from Kent Ridge MRT Station to University Town and to other parts of Kent Ridge campus.
This will begin in phases from mid-2019.
Dr Peck said that the safety timeout allowed the university to work with the NUS Students’ Union and Grab to “introduce additional safety measures for the safety and well-being of our NUS community”.
During the timeout last week, NUS and Grab conducted road shows and safety education programmes and ensured that helmets were provided at all 28 GrabWheels parking stations on campus, Dr Peck said.
NUS also put in place more “traffic calming” measures, such as rumble strips on slopes, to remind users to slow down.
Mandatory training for users is available from Saturday on a first-come-first-served basis for registered users. They will be informed of the training venue and other details via the GrabWheels mobile application.