SINGAPORE: The ban on riding e-scooters on footpaths will be extended to all motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs), under amendments to the Active Mobility Act introduced in Parliament on Monday (Jan 6).
The ban came into effect for e-scooters - defined as motorised PMDs with handlebars - on Nov 5 last year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementUnder the Active Mobility (Amendment) Bill, the footpath ban will include devices such as hoverboards and electric unicycles.
The Bill also allows the implementation of a number of recommendations made by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel in September.
These recommendations, which were accepted by the Government in December, include the introduction of a mandatory theory test for e-scooter users as well as requiring those riding e-scooters on public paths to be at least 16.
[h=3]READ: Panel recommends e-scooter users be at least 16 years old, pass theory test before riding on public path[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: Mandatory inspection for e-scooters every 2 years from April 2020: LTA[/h]The Bill also puts into place an inspection regime for e-scooters, first announced last year, that will require such devices to go for mandatory inspections every two years, beginning on Apr 1 this year.
"To strengthen LTA's (Land Transport Authority) ability to tackle illegal modification of devices, the amendments also expand the regulatory regime to cover all modifications of devices used on public paths, including those who modify their own devices and those who do without compensation," said the Transport Ministry (MOT) in a statement.
Under the amendments, the maximum penalties for key offences by both users and retailers will be increased as part of efforts to deter "errant and irresponsible behaviour", MOT added.
"The proposed amendments aim to strengthen our regulatory regime on active mobility devices and retailers and promote better public path safety," said the ministry.
It added that the Bill also makes related amendments to the Road Traffic Act to enhance penalties for PMD-related offences.
The Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing Bill), which sets out a new Act that aims to expand the scope of the current licensing regime for bike-sharing and PMD-sharing operators.
The proposed new Act will replace the existing device-sharing licencing regime, which currently falls under the Parking Places Act.
"More details of these amendments will be set out in the Second Readings of the Active Mobility (Amendment) Bill and Shared Mobility Enterprises (Control and Licensing) Bill in February 2020," said MOT.
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