Oral Reply by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng to Parliamentary Question on Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) Regulations

Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Transport

a.     how is the ownership of personal mobility aids (PMAs) being regulated;

b.     whether the Ministry will consider tightening the ownership requirements for PMAs to prevent their proliferation from misuse and abuse;

c.     how does the Ministry monitor whether the PMAs in use are in compliance with safety standards;

d.     how can members of the public report PMAs being misused; and

e.     what are the enforcement actions that will be taken following reports of non-compliant PMAs to the Ministry.

Reply by Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng:

1.     We want to make personal mobility aids (PMAs) accessible for the many Singaporeans who rely on them for diverse daily commuting needs.

2.     Rather than regulate ownership, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has regulations to ensure that PMAs are safe for use on public paths. All PMAs, which include mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs, have a maximum speed of 10km/h, and mobility scooters must only have a single seat, among other requirements. LTA conducts regular enforcement efforts islandwide and users found to be using non-compliant devices may face a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment of up to 6 months, and also have their devices impounded. Members of the public may report incidents of errant device users on public paths to LTA through the ‘MyTransport.SG’ mobile application, or at feedback@lta.gov.sg.

3.     Nonetheless, we acknowledge that there are cases of misuse or abuse of these devices, which we want to prevent as it affects public safety as well as safety for the riders. As part of the workplan of the Active Mobility Advisory Panel, which started its new term in January 2022, there will be a review of the rules and restrictions applicable to PMAs, such as setting pre-conditions for a person to use PMAs.