SINGAPORE: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, said on Monday (Oct 7) that he has asked national water agency PUB to gazette the boardwalk at Pang Sua Pond in Bukit Panjang as a pedestrian-only zone.
"This will help ensure safety for our children and other pedestrians who use this boardwalk," said Dr Balakrishnan, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs.
AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: PMDs could be banned if rider behaviour does not improve: Janil Puthucheary[/h][h=3]Commentary: Can we co-exist with PMDs? Yes, but we need to take a different path[/h]In his Facebook post, the minister added that he hoped personal mobility device (PMD) riders will understand the need for this safety measure.
AdvertisementAdvertisementPang Sua Pond, which was built in the 1990s as a stormwater collection pond, was reopened in March 2017 after a S$6.8 million makeover.
A 480m boardwalk, which is suspended up to 7 metres over the water, connects users to nearby facilities such as the Senja-Cashew Community Club and a 3G Wellness Centre.
There is also a multi-purpose stage for community events and activities that can seat more than 200 people, as well as viewing decks where users can get a bird's eye view of the waterfront.
Dr Balakrishnan's post follows several PMD-related announcements on Monday.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Janil Putucheary said in Parliament that the use of PMDs could be banned if rider behavior does not improve.
Dr Janil cited the death of an elderly cyclist after a collision with a PMD, as well as the increasing number of accidents involving the devices.
“Many wish for footpaths to be safe for pedestrians again," said Dr Janil. “We are determined to improve footpath safety back to levels before PMDs were allowed onto footpaths.”
[h=3]READ: Why being hit by an e-scooter can be deadly - and a call to ban them from footpaths[/h][h=3]READ: Mandatory inspection for e-scooters every 2 years from April 2020[/h]The Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday also announced that from April next year, all e-scooters will have to undergo inspection every two years to ensure that they comply with the criteria for use on public paths.
Last month, a man died after he lost control of his device along Tanah Merah Coast Road. According to the LTA, the rider's unregistered e-scooter was non-compliant and should not have been used on public paths.
Let's block ads! (Why?)
More...