SINGAPORE: An elderly man was seen riding his electric wheelchair on the road instead of the footpath in Balestier, and a concerned netizen shared a video of the incident.
As seen in the video, the elderly man was riding across the bus bay of the bus stop in front of Giffard Mansion and stopped to wait for the traffic light to change at a pedestrian crossing. When the traffic light changed, the man wheeled across the road using the pedestrian crossing, and when he reached the other side, he turned onto the road instead.
The concerned netizen then wondered why the man decided to do such a thing. “Is he tired of living? Waiting for an accident to happen. Then whose fault?” the netizen said.
Electric scooters/personal mobility aids in Singapore
Riding an electric scooter is allowed in Singapore, but one must follow important rules. Riders of these electronic scooters must only use them on cycling paths and not on roads or sidewalks. If caught breaking the rules, the culprit can be fined and/or even be imprisoned. Furthermore, scooters must be safe and certified for fire safety. These scooters also need safety checks every two years.
To be allowed on roads, an electric scooter must adhere to certain rules. It must have a UL2272 safety certification to make sure that it is safe and reliable to use. Also, the scooter should not weigh more than 20 kg and be no wider than 70 cm. It must not go faster than 25km/h to be safe and legal.
Additionally, all e-scooters should be registered with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), but as of the moment, only businesses can register and not individuals.
Electric wheelchairs, which are categorised as personal mobility aids by the Land Transport Authority, are not allowed on roads either. However, these types of wheelchairs and other personal mobility aids (PMAs), such as mobility scooters for the elderly, are allowed to board public buses and the MRT/LRT.
People should make sure that the wheelchair or personal mobility aid (PMA) is no longer than 120 cm, no wider than 70 cm, and no taller than 150 cm. Moreover, the combined weight of the PMA and the user must not be more than 300 kg.
