SINGAPORE, Feb 4 — Personal mobility scooter users in Singapore will face tougher rules from June, with mandatory medical certification, slower speed limits and new size restrictions set to reshape how the devices are used on public paths, reported AsiaOne.
According to the Singapore-based media organisation, Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng told the Singapore Parliament yesterday that the public have raised growing concerns about safety.
“Many of us have heard from residents who feel increasingly unsafe as larger, faster devices weave through our paths under the guise of being mobility aids,” he said.
“We need to restore the original purpose of these devices to serve their intended users.”
If the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill is passed, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers will be able to stop riders and check whether they have a valid certificate of medical need, unless they fall under exemption groups such as seniors aged 70 and over or beneficiaries of government mobility-aid schemes.
Certificates can be obtained from February 27 from doctors and occupational therapists, with a list of providers and their fees to be published on the LTA website.
The maximum speed for personal mobility aids will be cut from 10kmh to 6kmh.
Devices heavier than 300kg when laden or larger than 120cm by 70cm by 150cm will be banned from public paths and public transport.
Personal mobility scooter registration will also become compulsory by 2029.
From June, retailers can sell only registered scooters, with roving LTA stations to help the public register their devices later. Riding an unregistered scooter from January 1, 2029 could draw a S$2,000 (RM6,200) fine and up to three months’ jail.
The Bill also proposes outlawing the mere possession of non-UL2272 certified e-scooters, amid 187 active mobility device fires between 2021 and 2025.
Individuals keeping such devices could face fines of up to S$2,000 and jail.
