Short of a ban on PMDs, license all riders

The recent death of a 65-year-old woman, Ong Bee Eng, after a collision with an electric scooter in Bedok has sparked a national conversation about the use of personal mobility devices (PMDs) in Singapore.

Many have weighed in on the issue through different channels, including a change.org petition that has so far garnered more than 67,000 signatures.

In the latest sitting of Parliament on Monday (Oct 7), Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary said the authorities would have no choice but to ban PMDs in Singapore if the behaviour of users does not improve.

He made those comments more than a week after the Active Mobility Advisory Panel — which looks into rules governing the use of PMDs, bicycles and other equipment — submitted its latest recommendations. These include mandating a theory test and setting a minimum age of 16 for all electric-scooter riders on public paths.

Short of an outright ban, these steps may be inadequate.

Right now, users of PMDs do not require a licence. This has created a situation in which motorised vehicles are placed on the same level as manually operated devices, such as bicycles. Yet PMDs — some of which can travel as fast as 60kmh — are not subject to the same level of regulation as motor vehicles, such as motorcycles.

Singapore aspires to become a “car-lite” society that depends on other modes of transport, including PMDs.

While an outright ban on PMDs may be the last resort, I would like to offer these suggestions on top of the recommendations that have been put forward.

First, users of PMDs should be licensed. The authorities should create a new class of driver’s licence for PMD users.

Second, since users of PMDs are allowed to go only at 25kmh on shared pathways, such as park-connector networks, and 10kmh on footpaths, the present driving-test facilities may not be appropriate for these riders. I propose that the Road Safety Community Park at East Coast Park be redeveloped to accommodate testing for users of PMDs under this licensing regime.

Lastly, I suggest that the police include statistics on accidents and fatalities involving PMDs in their mid-year and annual traffic-situation reports. This will provide clarity on the trends for policymakers and the public.

Everyone has a part to play in making our public paths safe. No one wins when a life is lost.

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