SINGAPORE: The e-scooter involved in the accident that killed an elderly cyclist in Bedok was a non-compliant personal mobility device (PMD), said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (Sep 26).
The unregistered PMD should not have been used on public paths, said LTA, as it exceeded the prescribed weight and width limit allowed under the Active Mobility Act.
AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: Elderly woman injured in Bedok e-scooter collision dies in hospital[/h]The cyclist, 65-year-old Ong Bee Eng, was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital after the incident near Block 539 Bedok North Street 3 on Sep 21.
She died from her injuries on Sep 25.
According to her sister, Mdm Ong suffered a brain injury. “She was relying on life support until yesterday when she died. Our entire family was by her side,” Mdm Ong Bee Yan said at the wake on Thursday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe e-scooter rider, a 20-year-old man, has been arrested. Police said they are investigating the case as causing death by rash act.
[h=3]READ: More than 2,500 active mobility offences recorded between May and December 2018: LTA[/h]Mdm Ong and the e-scooter rider had collided on a shared cycling path, said LTA in its statement on Thursday.
Under LTA rules, all e-scooters must be registered with the authority. They have to meet the device criteria of a maximum weight of 20kg and a width of up to 70cm.
There is also a speed limit of 10kmh when riding PMDs or bicycles on footpaths.
"LTA’s regulations on PMD speed limits and device criteria to ensure path safety have been in place since May 2018," said the authority.
“We have zero tolerance towards those who show flagrant disregard for our regulations and endanger public safety.”
For riding a non-compliant PMD on a public path, an offender could be jailed for up to three months and fined up to S$5,000.
If convicted of causing death by rash act, the e-scooter rider in this case could also face up to five years in jail and a fine.
Following the Bedok accident last week, an online petition calling for a ban on PMDs in Singapore has resurfaced, garnering more than 35,000 signatories as of Thursday night.
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