6YO Taken to Hospital After PMD Accident Near MBS

By
Shawn Ambrose
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A 6-year-old was-

Reader: Wait, hold the phone, I thought PMDs were banned? HOW ARE THERE STILL PMD ACCIDENTS WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN BANNED?

Well, if you look outside your window right now you’d probably see more PMDs on the pavement than cars on the road.

Reader: BUT HOW? 

You see, Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) have been banned on footpaths, yes, but LTA has provided an “advisory period” till the end of the year to allow users to adjust to the rules. During this period, only warnings will be given out.

Reader: Damn the compassionate authorities! 

We hoped the ban would make PMD riders think “I guess PMDs have been banned because it is a genuine danger to pedestrians. I shall find other means of transport immediately”, but instead they thought “Aiyah, January 2020 is still a long way away lah. I shall ride my PMD every single day till then.”

And because of their refusal to comply with this new law, yet another PMD accident has occurred.

6YO Taken to Hospital After PMD Accident Near MBS

A 6-year-old boy was reportedly hit by a PMD at Marina Bay Sands at 10 Bayfront Avenue.

According to The Straits Times, the accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning (29 December).

The police were alerted to an accident at about 12.45am near the ArtScience Museum and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

The six-year-old boy was conscious when he was taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the police said.

The PMD rider, a 17-year-old male teenager, was subsequently arrested for causing hurt by a rash act.

Investigations are ongoing.

Fines and jail terms kicking in from 1 Jan 2020

As I previously mentioned, PMDs were banned in November this year, but the Land Transport Authority (LTA) provided an “advisory period” for riders to adjust.

But, from 1 January next year, LTA will take a zero-tolerance approach against PMD riders caught on Singapore footpaths.

Offenders will face a fine of up to S$2,000 and/or jail of up to three months from next year.

PMDs can now only be used on cycling paths.

Will the PMD rider finally go extinct?

No one knows. Many thought the ban would deter riders from gracing pavements with their devices but they seem to have multiplied somehow.

Surely, with the threat of hefty fines and jail terms, PMD riders would be smart enough to find a different mode of transport, right?

Image: Giphy

Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]