SINGAPORE: Electric scooter users who try to circumvent the new footpath ban by riding on the grass alongside sidewalks could face a fine of up to S$5,000.
The National Parks Board (NParks) told CNA on Wednesday (Nov 6) that under the Parks and Trees Act, it is an offence to ride personal mobility devices (PMDs) along the green verges without permission.
AdvertisementAdvertisementE-scooter users who do so risk damaging the turf, which can lead to soil erosion. The uneven ground is also not safe to ride on, said Ms Kartini Omar, group director of parks development at NParks.
NParks' statement comes after several videos were uploaded on social media showing PMD users riding on the grass next to footpaths.
AdvertisementAdvertisementSingapore has banned e-scooters from its footpaths, with offenders facing fines of up to S$2,000 and jail time of up to three months once the ban is strictly enforced from January next year.
The ban does not apply to bicycles or personal mobility aids such as motorised wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
The ban comes after a spate of PMD-related accidents, including a 65-year-old cyclist who died in September after a collision with an e-scooter.
On Tuesday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a written answer to a parliamentary question said that last year, 299 people were treated at hospitals for PMD-related incidents.
[h=3]READ: E-scooter ban on footpaths: 5 things you need to know[/h]On the first day of the e-scooter ban on Tuesday, more than 100 PMD riders were issued warnings for riding on footpaths, said the Land Transport Authority.
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