SINGAPORE, Jan 2 — From January 15, users caught riding personal mobility devices (PMDs) on the roads will face stiffer punishment, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced today.

The composition fine will be increased from S$100 (RM302) to S$300 or S$500, depending on whether the first-time offender was riding on local roads or major roads. Those caught riding on expressways will be charged in court.

If convicted in court, first-time offenders face a fine of up to S$2,000 or up to three months in jail, or both. Repeat offenders face a fine up to S$5,000 or up to six months behind bars, or both.

The authorities will impound the users’ devices during investigations, as is the current practice.

Under the Road Traffic Act, it is illegal to ride PMDs on the roads, as this poses "significant danger” to riders and other road users, said the LTA. The stricter penalties for more egregious cases are meant to "deter errant users”.

The LTA defines PMDs as devices such as kick-scooters, electric scooters, electric unicycles and electric hoverboards. Devices that provide mobility to people who are less mobile, such as motorised wheelchairs for the elderly or physically disabled, are classified as personal mobility aids.

The number of users caught riding their personal mobility devices on the roads climbed from 34 each month in 2016, to 40 each month last year, the latest LTA figures showed. Though most users were caught while riding on local roads, a "small minority” had done so on expressways.

The LTA added that it has been engaging representatives from personal-mobility-device interest groups to heighten awareness of the risks and dangers of riding on the roads.

"With the increasing popularity of food-delivery services, we have also been working with such companies to educate their personal-mobility-device delivery crew on safe-riding tips and rules, such as not riding on the roads,” the authority said. — TODAY