Serious PMD ban exposes PAP's clueless planning

[Confuseous]

https://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/pap-had-no-plans-place-when-introducing-pmd-ban-overnight

 

[congo9]

When Singkie people ask for more leeway in their own life, they mess it up for PAP and Singkie got banned using PMD. As a result, PMD which started as a good tool has become a tool to clobber PAP.

Singkie just can't have good things. When PAP Come down hard on PMD, they got all the flakes for allowing PMD to flourish and someone really died as a result. Some riders even had their

Just that the whole saga just tell me one thing. Singapore society as lacking self discipline, lacking tolerant and really need to be Policed all the time. Singkie just not ready.

 

[tanwahtiu]

Blame jiuhu kia they are trouble makers in Singapore...

 

[laksaboy]

I've noticed that over the past 3-5 years, many roads in SG have been widened.

They could have put a PMD/bike lane, but you know that's for facilitating more motor vehicles/people for the Population White Paper vision.

 

[laksaboy]

When Singkie people ask for more leeway in their own life, they mess it up for PAP and Singkie got banned using PMD. As a result, PMD which started as a good tool has become a tool to clobber PAP.

Singkie just can't have good things. When PAP Come down hard on PMD, they got all the flakes for allowing PMD to flourish and someone really died as a result. Some riders even had their

Just that the whole saga just tell me one thing. Singapore society as lacking self discipline, lacking tolerant and really need to be Policed all the time. Singkie just not ready.

It's the overcrowding that's the problem. If Sinkieland's population reverted to 4 million like during the start of Loong becoming PM, PMDs would be a non-issue.

 

[ckmpd]

https://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/pap-had-no-plans-place-when-introducing-pmd-ban-overnight

PMD ban exposes PAP's lack of planning?

How abt not enough hospital beds, inadequate infrastructure, mrt congestion, etc?

PAP has not been planning all these years despite Singapore taxpayers paying so much to MOT, MOH, MND. The Ministers have been sleeping on the job and in parliament. They ought to be sacked.

 

[Leongsam]

Singapore should learn from Auckland. I love my PMD. It changed my life for the better.

 

[Leongsam]

 

[mojito]

Singapore should learn from Auckland. I love my PMD. It changed my life for the better.

Pmd only encourage wasteful expenditure of electricity powered by fossil fuels and make people fat. You not getting enough exercise moving about with that contraption.

 

[congo9]

There is no fix problem and problem contribute to all. Overcrowding , intolerance , poor planning by the government , small street just enough for people to walk side by side. I think we have a very expensive problem. We are over paying this government for the job.

Judging by the standard they handle issue, we will run into a lot of issue in coming future.

 

[Leongsam]

Pmd only encourage wasteful expenditure of electricity powered by fossil fuels and make people fat. You not getting enough exercise moving about with that contraption.

Most of NZ's electricity is from hydro and thermal sources so the country is an ideal place to embrace anything electrical.

 

[mojito]

Most of NZ's electricity is from hydro and thermal sources so the country is an ideal place to embrace anything electrical.

You not looking at the whole supply chain son. All the China made pmd manufactured with coal fired stations! What about the poor Ozzy miners dying from asbestos poisoning? Such a terrible price to pay. Are you paying for that too?

 

[Leongsam]

You not looking at the whole supply chain son. All the China made pmd manufactured with coal fired stations! What about the poor Ozzy miners dying from asbestos poisoning? Such a terrible price to pay. Are you paying for that too?

That describes the supply chain of just about every manufactured product nowadays.

The carbon footprint of me riding my PMD 10 km has to be just a fraction of making the same journey by car no matter what formula you use.

My biggest contribution to mitigating climate change is having zero offspring. I have definitely done my part.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/12/want-to-fight-climate-change-have-fewer-children

 

[glockman]

It is quite apparent the pap's main focus are fixing opposition and muzzling sinkies, so as to ensure their total control of the country and protect their income streams. They are not and have not been governing like they should, but managing their own survival and prosperity. This is why the country is so strewed.

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

For all you know this could be an accidental blunder as these group of people imho are not paying taxes...if one rider I can recover 500 10000 riders will net me back 5 mil easily in taxes...dont know why they dare to shout so loud when they are flouting the law left right and centre

 

[jw5]

I simply enjoy observing the ongoing dispute between 2 unlikeable parties.

 

[ToaPehGong]

My multimillionaire ministers actually planned to fuck care but didn't expect so many people gave a fuck. But as per all other unhappy episodes, my multimillionaire ministers will hope Singaporeans forget it as times passes. Long live PAP, huat ahhhhhh

 

[Hypocrite-The]

The Big Read: E-scooter footpath ban — lessons from the PMD saga and where to go from here
The task of tackling the PMD scourge is the latest regulatory headache confronting Singapore’s transport policymakers.
From an estimated several thousand units four years ago, the number of e-scooters has ballooned to nearly 100,000 at last count, buoyed by their convenience for daily commutes and food-delivery services. (Photo: TODAY/Anam Musta'ein)Share this content
Bookmark
SINGAPORE: It came swiftly and with little warning.
On Nov 4, the authorities declared that electric scooters - which have become a fixture of Singapore’s streets in recent years - would be barred from footpaths the next day.
READ: E-scooter ban on footpaths - 5 things you need to know

Even as pedestrians cheered, the news set off a furore among many users of the ubiquitous “e-scooters”, as they are known in the city-state. The loudest protests came from 7,000 or so food-delivery riders whose jobs depended on these vehicles.
In the past fortnight, they have taken their objections to Members of Parliament (MPs) - with riders turning up in the hundreds on at least one occasion - venting their frustrations at meet-the-people and dialogue sessions. Petitions against the ban have also been started, with one drawing more than 25,000 signatures.
READ: E-scooter riders gather to voice frustration over ban at Meet-the-People session in Ang Mo Kio

In an effort to soothe concerns, the Government, along with three major food-delivery firms, unveiled a S$7 million grant to help riders switch to other vehicles.
Those who trade in their e-scooters will each receive up to S$1,000 to switch to electric bicycles (or e-bikes) or personal mobility aids meant for the less mobile, such as mobility scooters. For those wishing to switch to a bicycle, the grant is up to S$600.
Even as pedestrians cheered, the news set off a furore among many users of the ubiquitous “e-scooters”, as they are known in the city-state. The loudest protests came from 7,000 or so food-delivery riders whose jobs depended on these vehicles. (Photo: TODAY/Najeer Yusof)
E-bikes may be used on roads, while bicycles are allowed on footpaths and roads. By contrast, e-scooters are now confined to bicycle tracks, paths shared by pedestrians and cyclists, and park connectors.
The grant, announced four days after the ban was made public, did little to mollify riders, who argued that those with health problems cannot cycle for hours on end. As bicycles are slower than e-scooters, their takings would also be hit.
READ: S$7 million in grants to help food delivery riders trade in e-scooters following footpath ban
In response to queries, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said there was no “one-size-fits-all” solution to managing different technologies and business models, and it sought to strike a balance between “facilitating and minimising” public disamenities.
“Ensuring the safety of pedestrians, commuters and all users of Singapore’s land-transport system is the LTA’s top priority,” its spokesperson said.
The events of the past fortnight have, nevertheless, raised questions on whether the issue could have been managed better.
With the benefit of hindsight, analysts, MPs and industry players said there were lessons to be gleaned not only from what unfolded in recent weeks, but from the time when personal mobility devices (PMDs) started becoming popular.
Still, they pointed out that no matter the path policymakers had chosen, there would be trade-offs and challenges.
And while the boat may have sailed for some of the options that were previously available to the authorities, they could offer clues on the way forward - given that the problems and opportunities arising from the proliferation of PMDs would not go away anytime soon.
1. COULD IMPORTS HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED?
From an estimated several thousand units four years ago, the number of e-scooters has ballooned to nearly 100,000 at last count, buoyed by their convenience for daily commutes and food-delivery services.
But dangers lurked as e-scooters snowballed. In the past year, e-scooters and other mobility vehicles left charging overnight in public-housing flats had caught fire, destroyed homes, triggered evacuations, and caused injuries and a death.
On footpaths, riders going at high speed and using overweight scooters had ploughed into pedestrians. In September, cyclist Ong Bee Eng became the first fatality from a collision with an e-scooter rider, who was using a non-compliant and unregistered vehicle.
READ: 30 accidents involving PMDs, pedestrians on public paths in first 9 months of 2017
In hindsight, the authorities should have controlled the types of PMDs that were imported and sold in Singapore, said Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport.
In the past year, e-scooters and other mobility vehicles left charging overnight in public-housing flats had caught fire, destroyed homes, triggered evacuations, and caused injuries and a death. (Photo: SCDF)
Even so, he acknowledged that it would have been impossible to foresee that some PMDs would burst into flames.
“None of us would know that people would import illegally modified PMDs such that they speed and operate almost like a motorbike,” added Mr Lim.
Import controls would entail the Singapore Customs checking these vehicles, their battery power and weight, but then again, Mr Lim conceded that users could modify them illegally, making enforcement difficult.
READ: 54 fires involving PMDs and power-assisted bicycles reported in first half of 2019

Transport economist Walter Theseira, from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that unlike for motorcycles and cars from established manufacturers, standards for PMDs would have to be developed from scratch.
Two or three years ago, when these devices began to gain popularity, Singapore would not have been able to learn how other countries were dealing with the issue, as there was “very little practice elsewhere of regulating the construction and safety standards of these devices”, said Associate Professor Theseira.
Mr Denis Koh, chairman of Big Wheel Scooters Singapore (BWSS) - the largest online community of e-scooter enthusiasts here with about 26,600 members - said the LTA’s speed, width and weight restrictions for devices allowed in public spaces had achieved the same effects as import controls.
The requirements, passed into law last year, meant that it was no longer feasible for retailers to bring in non-compliant devices, said Mr Koh, who is also a member of the Active Mobility Advisory Panel.
READ: PMD retailers worried about impact of footpath ban that came 'without warning'

The panel, set up in 2015, looks into rules governing the use of PMDs, bicycles and other equipment.
He added that the requirement for all mobility vehicles to meet UL2272, a safety standard that reduces the risk of fires, by July next year also weeds out illegal modification.
Asked in Parliament last month if the Government would stop the sale and imports of PMDs to curb the problem, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Transport, said it could be considered.
READ: PMD ban not needed right now, but being considered: Janil Puthucheary
But he noted that the measures in place would already “mean that new devices and new imports need to be compliant and … registered”.
“Given the number of these devices that are already here in Singapore, on our footpaths and on our roads, I think there are other steps that we need to consider for early intervention in the first place,” he said, without elaborating.
2. WOULD LIMITED TRIALS HAVE BEEN USEFUL?
Besides stemming the flow of PMDs into Singapore, analysts and industry players suggested that the Government could have explored small-scale trials in selected towns to assess the risks and benefits of these vehicles, before subjecting them to tougher rules or allowing wider adoption.
Assoc Prof Theseira said the challenge for PMDs and shared bicycles was that they had no “regulatory sandbox” or controlled trial environment that would allow the Government to assess the benefits and risks before deciding on the next moves.
This is unlike the financial sector, which has sandbox regulations that allow financial-technology firms to test products and services in a live environment within certain boundaries before becoming subject to greater regulation, he said.
Analysts and industry players suggested that the Government could have explored small-scale trials in selected towns to assess the risks and benefits of PMDs, before subjecting them to tougher rules or allowing wider adoption. (Photo: TODAY/ Ooi Boon Keong)
Mr Navin Kumar, head of supply chain at micro-mobility firm Helbiz - one of 14 applicants that were vying for a licence to operate shared PMDs in Singapore - said his firm believed a smaller-scale pilot sandbox licence could have been done in areas such as the Central Business District with “strict regulations on usage and safety”.
“A shorter-term (test) could have been given to service providers, to study the impact and determine a wider decision upon the end of that term,” he said.
Still, such trials are not without downsides.
If they were to be done, Assoc Prof Theseira said towns best suited to PMDs, based on their cycling networks, would naturally be picked and the results might not be the same when applied elsewhere.
While a trial may have been possible several years ago, it is difficult today as residents of a town earmarked for it would question why they are being victimised, said Assoc Prof Theseira.
On the other end, PMD users from another town would ask: “Why is that town so lucky?”
Transport consultant Gopinath Menon noted that trials had been conducted before in Tampines town on how pedestrians and cyclists could share footpaths, and this concept was expanded only after it was found to be working satisfactorily, in tandem with improvements to pathways.
“It would have been reasonable to assume that PMD riders would behave more or less as most cyclists did,” said Mr Menon.
Assoc Prof Theseira added: “Unfortunately, in the case of PMDs… their growth was so rapid that it became difficult to introduce the concept as a trial… Events really overtook the Government in this case.”
Mr Lim, the Mountbatten MP, said restricting riding to certain towns would be difficult to manage.
Nevertheless, Mr Steven Lim, president of the Safe Cycling Task Force (SCTF), said such trials could still be considered in future as an avenue to allow e-scooters to run on a wider scale again with appropriate controls.
3. WOULD LICENSING RIDERS HAVE HELPED?
Another move that could have been explored was to subject riders to a licensing regime: Just as motorcyclists and drivers need licences to operate their vehicles, so should PMD users.
In a letter last month, reader Kenneth Tan Sheng Han suggested that short of a ban, the authorities could create a class of driver’s licence for such users. He also proposed that the Road Safety Community Park in the East Coast Park be redeveloped to accommodate testing for users.
The idea was also mooted in Parliament. But Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport, said last week in response to a question from MP Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency) that the Government had no intention to roll out mandatory licensing at this point.
Another move that could have been explored was to subject riders to a licensing regime: Just as motorcyclists and drivers need licences to operate their vehicles, so should PMD users. (Photo: TODAY/Najeer Yusof)
Mr Lim Biow Chuan said that subjecting riders to a licensing regime would promote responsible behaviour, as users risk being punished or losing their licence if they flout the rules.
BWSS’ Mr Koh agreed that the Government could have studied the licensing option, complete with training and insurance for those who use these vehicles for work, such as delivery riders.
Still, Mr Lim Biow Chuan acknowledged that a licensing regime - which had been discussed among some MPs - would take time, as the Government would have to study the structure of traffic rules for PMDs, and lay out the criteria for licences as well as insurance requirements where necessary.
With a licensing regime for e-scooter riders, Assoc Prof Theseira said some would ask if it should also apply to users of e-bikes and bicycles, since these devices could harm pedestrians, too.
PMDs also come in a myriad of forms and devising a practical test that would apply to all types of PMDs would require some thought, he said.
The authorities, while designing the test, may also find certain types of PMDs safer than others in, say, braking and manoeuvring capabilities. As it would not make sense for a licensing regime to ensure safe riders when vehicles themselves were poorly made, the Government would then have to devise criteria for the safe design and operation of all devices, and work with the market to ensure that these were reasonable and followed.
This, said Assoc Prof Theseira, would be an “expensive and arduous undertaking” that would receive pushback from importers who may have to dip into their pockets to have their PMDs tested.
4. COULD MORE CYCLING AND SHARED PATHS BE BUILT EARLIER?
Singapore could also have built paths needed to accommodate e-scooters and other innovative transport modes earlier, said those interviewed.
Professor Sam Park, who heads the division of strategy, international business and entrepreneurship at the Nanyang Business School, said Singapore does not have the proper infrastructure to make e-scooters valuable for people.
“Companies pushed out the products with little concern about public safety. Other than their profit-making effort, they did not exert any effort to address the potential public hazard,” he said.
At the same time, the Government was for a while not ready for this innovation and did not provide the necessary infrastructure, Prof Park added.
Singapore could also have built paths needed to accommodate e-scooters and other innovative transport modes earlier, said those interviewed by TODAY. (Photo: TODAY/Raj Nadarajan)
Assistant Professor He Long of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, whose research covers shared-transport systems, said the Government could have proactively studied the impact of scooter use two years ago, at an early stage of rising adoption, and built the necessary infrastructure earlier.
Singapore’s network of cycling paths is set to be expanded from 440km to 750km by 2025. By 2030, the network will be thrice the present distance, and all Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns will have a cycling-path network.
Speaking to reporters this week after a dialogue session with more than 300 food-delivery riders and retailers, Dr Lam reiterated that ramping up the infrastructure was a work in progress and it was the Government’s “long-term vision to promote active mobility”.

 

[mojito]

The Big Read: E-scooter footpath ban — lessons from the PMD saga and where to go from here
The task of tackling the PMD scourge is the latest regulatory headache confronting Singapore’s transport policymakers.
From an estimated several thousand units four years ago, the number of e-scooters has ballooned to nearly 100,000 at last count, buoyed by their convenience for daily commutes and food-delivery services. (Photo: TODAY/Anam Musta'ein)Share this content
Bookmark
SINGAPORE: It came swiftly and with little warning.
On Nov 4, the authorities declared that electric scooters - which have become a fixture of Singapore’s streets in recent years - would be barred from footpaths the next day.
READ: E-scooter ban on footpaths - 5 things you need to know

Even as pedestrians cheered, the news set off a furore among many users of the ubiquitous “e-scooters”, as they are known in the city-state. The loudest protests came from 7,000 or so food-delivery riders whose jobs depended on these vehicles.
In the past fortnight, they have taken their objections to Members of Parliament (MPs) - with riders turning up in the hundreds on at least one occasion - venting their frustrations at meet-the-people and dialogue sessions. Petitions against the ban have also been started, with one drawing more than 25,000 signatures.
READ: E-scooter riders gather to voice frustration over ban at Meet-the-People session in Ang Mo Kio

In an effort to soothe concerns, the Government, along with three major food-delivery firms, unveiled a S$7 million grant to help riders switch to other vehicles.
Those who trade in their e-scooters will each receive up to S$1,000 to switch to electric bicycles (or e-bikes) or personal mobility aids meant for the less mobile, such as mobility scooters. For those wishing to switch to a bicycle, the grant is up to S$600.
Even as pedestrians cheered, the news set off a furore among many users of the ubiquitous “e-scooters”, as they are known in the city-state. The loudest protests came from 7,000 or so food-delivery riders whose jobs depended on these vehicles. (Photo: TODAY/Najeer Yusof)
E-bikes may be used on roads, while bicycles are allowed on footpaths and roads. By contrast, e-scooters are now confined to bicycle tracks, paths shared by pedestrians and cyclists, and park connectors.
The grant, announced four days after the ban was made public, did little to mollify riders, who argued that those with health problems cannot cycle for hours on end. As bicycles are slower than e-scooters, their takings would also be hit.
READ: S$7 million in grants to help food delivery riders trade in e-scooters following footpath ban
In response to queries, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said there was no “one-size-fits-all” solution to managing different technologies and business models, and it sought to strike a balance between “facilitating and minimising” public disamenities.
“Ensuring the safety of pedestrians, commuters and all users of Singapore’s land-transport system is the LTA’s top priority,” its spokesperson said.
The events of the past fortnight have, nevertheless, raised questions on whether the issue could have been managed better.
With the benefit of hindsight, analysts, MPs and industry players said there were lessons to be gleaned not only from what unfolded in recent weeks, but from the time when personal mobility devices (PMDs) started becoming popular.
Still, they pointed out that no matter the path policymakers had chosen, there would be trade-offs and challenges.
And while the boat may have sailed for some of the options that were previously available to the authorities, they could offer clues on the way forward - given that the problems and opportunities arising from the proliferation of PMDs would not go away anytime soon.
1. COULD IMPORTS HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED?
From an estimated several thousand units four years ago, the number of e-scooters has ballooned to nearly 100,000 at last count, buoyed by their convenience for daily commutes and food-delivery services.
But dangers lurked as e-scooters snowballed. In the past year, e-scooters and other mobility vehicles left charging overnight in public-housing flats had caught fire, destroyed homes, triggered evacuations, and caused injuries and a death.
On footpaths, riders going at high speed and using overweight scooters had ploughed into pedestrians. In September, cyclist Ong Bee Eng became the first fatality from a collision with an e-scooter rider, who was using a non-compliant and unregistered vehicle.
READ: 30 accidents involving PMDs, pedestrians on public paths in first 9 months of 2017
In hindsight, the authorities should have controlled the types of PMDs that were imported and sold in Singapore, said Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport.
In the past year, e-scooters and other mobility vehicles left charging overnight in public-housing flats had caught fire, destroyed homes, triggered evacuations, and caused injuries and a death. (Photo: SCDF)
Even so, he acknowledged that it would have been impossible to foresee that some PMDs would burst into flames.
“None of us would know that people would import illegally modified PMDs such that they speed and operate almost like a motorbike,” added Mr Lim.
Import controls would entail the Singapore Customs checking these vehicles, their battery power and weight, but then again, Mr Lim conceded that users could modify them illegally, making enforcement difficult.
READ: 54 fires involving PMDs and power-assisted bicycles reported in first half of 2019

Transport economist Walter Theseira, from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that unlike for motorcycles and cars from established manufacturers, standards for PMDs would have to be developed from scratch.
Two or three years ago, when these devices began to gain popularity, Singapore would not have been able to learn how other countries were dealing with the issue, as there was “very little practice elsewhere of regulating the construction and safety standards of these devices”, said Associate Professor Theseira.
Mr Denis Koh, chairman of Big Wheel Scooters Singapore (BWSS) - the largest online community of e-scooter enthusiasts here with about 26,600 members - said the LTA’s speed, width and weight restrictions for devices allowed in public spaces had achieved the same effects as import controls.
The requirements, passed into law last year, meant that it was no longer feasible for retailers to bring in non-compliant devices, said Mr Koh, who is also a member of the Active Mobility Advisory Panel.
READ: PMD retailers worried about impact of footpath ban that came 'without warning'

The panel, set up in 2015, looks into rules governing the use of PMDs, bicycles and other equipment.
He added that the requirement for all mobility vehicles to meet UL2272, a safety standard that reduces the risk of fires, by July next year also weeds out illegal modification.
Asked in Parliament last month if the Government would stop the sale and imports of PMDs to curb the problem, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Transport, said it could be considered.
READ: PMD ban not needed right now, but being considered: Janil Puthucheary
But he noted that the measures in place would already “mean that new devices and new imports need to be compliant and … registered”.
“Given the number of these devices that are already here in Singapore, on our footpaths and on our roads, I think there are other steps that we need to consider for early intervention in the first place,” he said, without elaborating.
2. WOULD LIMITED TRIALS HAVE BEEN USEFUL?
Besides stemming the flow of PMDs into Singapore, analysts and industry players suggested that the Government could have explored small-scale trials in selected towns to assess the risks and benefits of these vehicles, before subjecting them to tougher rules or allowing wider adoption.
Assoc Prof Theseira said the challenge for PMDs and shared bicycles was that they had no “regulatory sandbox” or controlled trial environment that would allow the Government to assess the benefits and risks before deciding on the next moves.
This is unlike the financial sector, which has sandbox regulations that allow financial-technology firms to test products and services in a live environment within certain boundaries before becoming subject to greater regulation, he said.
Analysts and industry players suggested that the Government could have explored small-scale trials in selected towns to assess the risks and benefits of PMDs, before subjecting them to tougher rules or allowing wider adoption. (Photo: TODAY/ Ooi Boon Keong)
Mr Navin Kumar, head of supply chain at micro-mobility firm Helbiz - one of 14 applicants that were vying for a licence to operate shared PMDs in Singapore - said his firm believed a smaller-scale pilot sandbox licence could have been done in areas such as the Central Business District with “strict regulations on usage and safety”.
“A shorter-term (test) could have been given to service providers, to study the impact and determine a wider decision upon the end of that term,” he said.
Still, such trials are not without downsides.
If they were to be done, Assoc Prof Theseira said towns best suited to PMDs, based on their cycling networks, would naturally be picked and the results might not be the same when applied elsewhere.
While a trial may have been possible several years ago, it is difficult today as residents of a town earmarked for it would question why they are being victimised, said Assoc Prof Theseira.
On the other end, PMD users from another town would ask: “Why is that town so lucky?”
Transport consultant Gopinath Menon noted that trials had been conducted before in Tampines town on how pedestrians and cyclists could share footpaths, and this concept was expanded only after it was found to be working satisfactorily, in tandem with improvements to pathways.
“It would have been reasonable to assume that PMD riders would behave more or less as most cyclists did,” said Mr Menon.
Assoc Prof Theseira added: “Unfortunately, in the case of PMDs… their growth was so rapid that it became difficult to introduce the concept as a trial… Events really overtook the Government in this case.”
Mr Lim, the Mountbatten MP, said restricting riding to certain towns would be difficult to manage.
Nevertheless, Mr Steven Lim, president of the Safe Cycling Task Force (SCTF), said such trials could still be considered in future as an avenue to allow e-scooters to run on a wider scale again with appropriate controls.
3. WOULD LICENSING RIDERS HAVE HELPED?
Another move that could have been explored was to subject riders to a licensing regime: Just as motorcyclists and drivers need licences to operate their vehicles, so should PMD users.
In a letter last month, reader Kenneth Tan Sheng Han suggested that short of a ban, the authorities could create a class of driver’s licence for such users. He also proposed that the Road Safety Community Park in the East Coast Park be redeveloped to accommodate testing for users.
The idea was also mooted in Parliament. But Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport, said last week in response to a question from MP Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency) that the Government had no intention to roll out mandatory licensing at this point.
Another move that could have been explored was to subject riders to a licensing regime: Just as motorcyclists and drivers need licences to operate their vehicles, so should PMD users. (Photo: TODAY/Najeer Yusof)
Mr Lim Biow Chuan said that subjecting riders to a licensing regime would promote responsible behaviour, as users risk being punished or losing their licence if they flout the rules.
BWSS’ Mr Koh agreed that the Government could have studied the licensing option, complete with training and insurance for those who use these vehicles for work, such as delivery riders.
Still, Mr Lim Biow Chuan acknowledged that a licensing regime - which had been discussed among some MPs - would take time, as the Government would have to study the structure of traffic rules for PMDs, and lay out the criteria for licences as well as insurance requirements where necessary.
With a licensing regime for e-scooter riders, Assoc Prof Theseira said some would ask if it should also apply to users of e-bikes and bicycles, since these devices could harm pedestrians, too.
PMDs also come in a myriad of forms and devising a practical test that would apply to all types of PMDs would require some thought, he said.
The authorities, while designing the test, may also find certain types of PMDs safer than others in, say, braking and manoeuvring capabilities. As it would not make sense for a licensing regime to ensure safe riders when vehicles themselves were poorly made, the Government would then have to devise criteria for the safe design and operation of all devices, and work with the market to ensure that these were reasonable and followed.
This, said Assoc Prof Theseira, would be an “expensive and arduous undertaking” that would receive pushback from importers who may have to dip into their pockets to have their PMDs tested.
4. COULD MORE CYCLING AND SHARED PATHS BE BUILT EARLIER?
Singapore could also have built paths needed to accommodate e-scooters and other innovative transport modes earlier, said those interviewed.
Professor Sam Park, who heads the division of strategy, international business and entrepreneurship at the Nanyang Business School, said Singapore does not have the proper infrastructure to make e-scooters valuable for people.
“Companies pushed out the products with little concern about public safety. Other than their profit-making effort, they did not exert any effort to address the potential public hazard,” he said.
At the same time, the Government was for a while not ready for this innovation and did not provide the necessary infrastructure, Prof Park added.
Singapore could also have built paths needed to accommodate e-scooters and other innovative transport modes earlier, said those interviewed by TODAY. (Photo: TODAY/Raj Nadarajan)
Assistant Professor He Long of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, whose research covers shared-transport systems, said the Government could have proactively studied the impact of scooter use two years ago, at an early stage of rising adoption, and built the necessary infrastructure earlier.
Singapore’s network of cycling paths is set to be expanded from 440km to 750km by 2025. By 2030, the network will be thrice the present distance, and all Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns will have a cycling-path network.
Speaking to reporters this week after a dialogue session with more than 300 food-delivery riders and retailers, Dr Lam reiterated that ramping up the infrastructure was a work in progress and it was the Government’s “long-term vision to promote active mobility”.

See? Even all the smart professors say it can't be helped nobody is to be blame, why are oppies so insist on pinning fault on PAP? Be like Worker Party. Don't oppose for sake of opposing. That is the way.

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

All the govt needed to do was to use paint to draw a separator line either on the pavement or on the road...