New rules for safe path/road use by pedestrian/PMD users in Singapore (proposal).

[bic_cherry]

New rules for safe path/road use by pedestrian/PMD users in Singapore (proposal).: to help Singapore's GDP grow and grow (and accommodate 6.9million population by 2030)...

1) All pedestrians who want to wear earphones / use handphone(answer call, sms, pokemon games etc) when jogging or walking must keep to the left most side of path and travel in single file unless overtaking. (I.e. no sharing of earphones/ splitter use or walking abreast whilst on phone or wearing earphones. This is to facilitate safe and efficient overtaking by PMD (personal mobility device)/ other users. No loitering, ball games, illegal parking etc causing obstruction to any shared paths is allowed. At all times, at least 1m of shared path must always be passable to foot/ PMD traffic.

2) All users of road worthy PMDs must wear helmets and have visible front and rear lights when using the road at night. This is to reduce the risk of being unseen by motorist and risk of head injury in case of accident.

3) PMD(and motorcyclist) users traveling on any road or shared paths as the case may be, should not operate hand phones not wear any kind of earphones which interfere with traffic sounds so as to facilitate road awareness to reduce the risk of accidents. Being both vulnerable and at risk of injuring pedestrians, they must be fully focused on the journey and prepared for all unforseen circumstances.

Fines and penalties for non compliance to be advised in due course. Pedestrians and PMD users guilty of repeated noncompliance will be sentenced to re-education training in shared path used along with other convicted PMD users @ road safety community park (located @ East Coast Park near big splash BTW). Those holding valid driving licenses are also liable to receive demerit points if they are found to break shared path rules (walking abreast while on phone/ wrong side of shared path, riding bicycle on road without helmet etc).

 

[bic_cherry]

How about a family walking on the pathway? Are they supposed to walk in a single file or walk in a group and occupy the whole path?
Can somebody tell that to the stupid father and mother?

Child can consider half an adult so 3 abreast is okay if one parent needs to hold each child's hand but unlikely the case (kids are ought to run): main point is none of them should be listening to earphones (okay, maybe some exception for the autistic kid who is hand held n needs the music background sound but a kid is counted as half person remember?)....

Main thing is bf and gf must not listen to ear phones and hold hands: not good for relationship and even worse for traffic flow: if want to wear earphones then must walk in single file (except when overtaking that is) .

Larger herds of families shall only walk 2 abreast, unless there is enuff space for overtaking or opposite direction PMD traffic: but guess main thing is that they can spontaneously give way, so no offense of pathway hogging.

PS: repeat offenders summoned for reeducation @ road safety park will have to complete designated number of walking/ bike path laps without any summons received. For every summons received, they will be made to perform an extra lap. Persistent failure cases will be detained @ IMH and examined for antisocial traits and reviewed to see if their release is in any way hazardous to public safety/ health. All road safety park assessments will be open for public scrutiny, however, visitors are reminded to obey shared pathway use rules at all times.

 

[bic_cherry]

is electric wheelchair personal mobility device?

Yes, electric wheelchairs are considered PMDs. All hospital and polyclinic physiotherapy departments will have staff on hand to ensure that such wheelchair PMD users are trained in shared path usage rules. Wheelchair PMD users who are repeatedly inconsiderate or even reckless will be assessed @ restructured hospitals/IMH with possible outcomes such as committal to gahmen nursing home care, forfeiture of motorised wheelchair (motor is confiscated, user wheel themselves around in unmotorized wheelchair with own physical strength). The most recalcitrant will have their PG cards revoked, CHAS benefits docked and even confiscation of GST credits and utilities rebates as well. Ex civil servant pensioners can get their pensions suspended as well.

 

[bic_cherry]

[quote='Mark Koh' (sgfuck)]
PMD must buy & yearly insurance. If injure others, at least got money to compensate.
:ijump
[/quote]
Since bicycles and PMDs are an assortment (range from bicycles to skateboards to motorised wheelchairs) are increasingly accessible (2nd hand skate board costs $10), and given existing robust rules regarding their use (which I have bolstered with added rules wrt ear/ headphones use, directional flow in addition to existing speed and weight limit rules etc), the risk of serious injury is expected to be low. Bystanders are also able to immediately assist as witnesses, evidence videographers, first aiders etc. Ample gahmen healthcare assistance schemes are also available to the injured e.g. CHAS, pioneer generation package, class C subsidised hospitalizations, medishield-life, foc ambulance and police service and medi-fund all funded by every taxpayer who is also encouraged to use PMD instead of public transportation which is in any case (as Khaw Boon Wan says) HEAVILY SUBSIDISED (/going broke). PMD users are also healthy lifestyle adopters, so on a population basis, their expected reduced utilisation of gahmen healthcare benefits can be considered as implicit tax contribution to national coffers sufficient to cover for any additional accident insurance coverage possibly due. Specific 3rd party accident insurance for PMD users should thus not be expected.

On a side note, all LTA and Traffic police staff are advised to take either PMD or public transport to work (and carry go pro etc cameras) so that they can both experience as well as police the shared pathway and public transport system in Singapore. Their work performance should also specifically consider relative distances travelled to work on bicycle/ public transportation with the former favoured more than the latter as well.