Largest turnout of e-scooter riders at Lam Pin Min's meet-the-people session but footpath ban here to stay

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SINGAPORE — More than 300 food-delivery riders and retailers, the largest turnout so far, showed up at a meet-the-people session on Tuesday (Nov 12). Many of them had family in tow, but all of them left without getting what they had hoped for — an indication that the Government would consider reversing the ban of e-scooters from footpaths. 

This was after Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport, stood firm on the "difficult decision" that he said the Government had to make in order to stop the growing number of accidents.

Dr Lam is also the Member of Parliament (MP) of Sengkang West Single-Member Constituency.

The location of the session was changed at the last minute from the usual venue on Anchorvale Link to Anchorvale Community Centre, in order to accommodate the bigger crowd. 

It was the biggest gathering since the ban of e-scooters on footpaths was announced last Tuesday. 

Over the past week, food-delivery riders who use e-scooters for their jobs have been turning up in droves at various meet-the-people sessions in different constituencies, to voice out their frustrations against the ban to MPs. Some who had attended a number of these said that this one with Dr Lam was the most heated of all.

Riders told TODAY that his session was particularly notable because he had announced the ban in Parliament a week ago.

Food-delivery rider Jayrius Ong, 16, said: "It is Dr Lam himself who has the highest power at the Ministry of (Transport on this issue)... Whatever he says, goes."

Even if Dr Lam did not address their concerns, it was noteworthy that PMD users turned up to raise their concerns to him directly, he added.

TENSE ATMOSPHERE

The session, which was closed to the media, saw several participants suggesting to reverse the ban and criticising the decision behind it.

Several took to the microphone to tell of how it had impacted them. One woman read out a handwritten list of suggestions that she had been distributing to riders before the dialogue started.

The atmosphere was tense, they said.

Those present recounted that at one point, Mr Goh Meng Seng, the secretary-general of the People's Power Party, had a tense exchange with Dr Lam after joining the session late. The opposition party leader had asked why the Government did not ban cars since there were many car accidents, and Dr Lam had to rebut his views.

They added that Dr Lam went to lengths to explain the S$7 million trade-in assistance programme to allow riders to switch their devices to power-assisted bicycles or e-bikes without any added cost to themselves.

To support the riders who want to stay on their jobs, the Government announced last Friday that it had set up the grant with three food-delivery companies Foodpanda, GrabFood and Deliveroo.

Riders will receive a grant of up to S$1,000 each to switch to an e-bike or a personal mobility aid, and a grant of up to S$600 each to switch to a bicycle.

However, they must be an existing delivery rider with one of the three companies and must surrender their e-scooters to the companies.

‘NOT ALL WERE RECEPTIVE’

Speaking to reporters after the session, Dr Lam acknowledged that not all have been receptive to the trade-in scheme.

"Even with the announcement of the assistance package, not everyone — not 100 per cent — of the people will be happy with the assistance.

“But (they) have to understand that what we're trying to do is to allow them to return to the trade that they want to continue doing, and this is a way where we can facilitate that, so that they can continue (providing) food-delivery services.”

He added that the authorities will continue to look at the cases of food-delivery riders who are affected by the ban individually, to help them address their problems.

Giving his take on how the session went, Dr Lam said that he wanted to let the PMD users know "first hand" the rationale behind the ban and to seek their understanding on why the Government decided to impose it.

"And at the same time, we also want to let them know that we take their livelihood very seriously," he added.

Dr Lam reiterated that his chief purpose is to "restore safety" to the footpaths. "We don't want a situation where, if we do not do anything, it results in another fatality on footpaths. I think that is something that is not acceptable."

He said that the Government is still supportive of active mobility. To this end, it will be ramping up the development of transport infrastructure, such as by building more bicycle paths and park connectors.

"We have always believed in using active mobility for the first and last mile… but unfortunately, over the past year, the situation doesn't seem to have improved. 

"We've seen quite a significant number of injuries from accidents involving PMDs and pedestrians, and we have also seen several fatalities and, therefore, after looking at the situation, we know that we have to do something to bring safety back to the footpaths. And therefore, we have this very difficult decision to prohibit the use of PMDs on footpaths."

Later, in a Facebook post, Dr Lam went on to say that while there is no "perfect solution", delivery riders with unique circumstances can take up their issues with their respective MPs. "I am sure my fellow parliamentary colleagues will try their best to provide tailored assistance, whenever feasible."

On Mr Goh's presence at the session, he said: "Most people who (went) down today had genuine reasons to be there — except for a member of an opposition party who came to politicise the issue and stoke the emotions of those present."

Such actions are irresponsible, abhorrent, and do not benefit anyone, he said. "(They) distracted us from the main objective of giving the PMD riding community support during this period and helping them to understand that there is help available for them."

He added: "As we move forward from here, I hope that pedestrians can also spare a thought for responsible PMD riders and keep to footpaths where possible, and for PMD riders to also play their part and look out for pedestrians.

"Graciousness is a two-way street, and key in a society that is learning to grapple with disruptive technologies in our lives. Only by looking out for one another can we overcome our current challenges and realise our original vision of active mobility."

Several riders told TODAY that hearing it directly from Dr Lam at the session made them realise that their call to reverse the ban — or at least, to lengthen the two-month-long advisory period — will be unheeded.

With the ban in force, e-scooter riders can use only bicycle paths and park-connector networks. Those who do not comply can be fined up to S$2,000, jailed up to three months, or both.

To allow users to adjust to the new rules, the authorities will have an advisory period where warnings will be given out, although they will take strict enforcement action against very serious cases.

Teenage rider Jayrius Ong said after the session: "To be fair, (Dr Lam) had heard our issues carefully and listened to our issues raised. But the options he raised were just a repetition of what he had said before. There was nothing new." 

Security guard Firdaus Said, 30, who bought a UL2272-certified e-scooter just before the ban kicked in, said he was there to hopefully show Dr Lam that many have been affected negatively by the ban and that offers to food delivery riders to switch jobs will not be popular.

He added that a food-delivery rider is able to make around S$2,000 or more each month, while other jobs may not pay as well.

"By asking them to change jobs and become a postman (for example) is asking them to get a pay cut," he said.

Others left the session without wanting to speak to reporters, sounding their horns and shouting unhappily that nothing would change.

One rider, Mr Alam Mohamad Nor, 53, told TODAY: "Whatever he said had been what we heard before. It's all the same.”

Pushing his e-scooter out of the community centre, he said dejectedly: "After this, I don't feel like we can win this one.”