News

Another Crackdown By Authorities Resulted In 20 PMDs Confiscated; 1 Guy Even Knocked onto an Officer

2019-06-04 , 10:00 pm

For too long, people have been crying out:

“Stop those PMD users from wreaking havoc on our streets! Burn them at the stake!” PMD hater Iamanangelinthebedroom said.

“Yeah, hear, hear!” PMD hater Ilovedwaynejohnsonsabs echoed.

Alas, it seems that words fell on deaf ears, and the inconsiderate actions of our local PMD users continued to haunt the streets.

“Hah, you suckers should just stay home and suck from your milk bottles!” PMD User Wtfulookingat gloated.

But it all changed

In May last year, when the Active Mobility Act was introduced with a clear indication of speed limits and device specifications. All of a sudden, rules were imposed with an iron fist, and surveillance and enforcement operations were conducted on a near-routine basis.

“W-What’s this…” Wtfulookingat hesitated.

“This… is the retribution you so deserve pipsqueak,” PMD hater Iamanangelinthebedroom said.

“Yeah, hear, hear!” PMD hater Ilovedwaynejohnsonsabs echoed.

And to really drive home the potency of the Active Mobility Act

A three-day operation was conducted in Hougang, Telok Blangah and Tiong Bahru over the weekend, during which 20 PMDs were confiscated, and one collided with an enforcement officer.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” moaned Wtfulookingat.

“Let’s see how you get out of this one, you prick,” Iamanangelinthebed sneered. “Let’s see you drive on the road like it’s your Grandfather’s again… prick.”

“Yeah, hear, hear!”

Mobilisation

Over the weekend, more than 60 active mobility enforcement officers were deployed in the regions of Hougang, Telok Blangah and Tiong Bahru, in a three-day crackdown that saw 31 offences and the impoundment of about 20 PMDs.

The offences included the usage of non-compliant devices, riding on the wrong paths and faking the details of their e-scooters.

And Even Filed A Police Report

According to The New Paper, an LTA spokesman said that during the crackdown, they also filed a police report against a 17-year-old for speeding on his PMD, as well as knocking into an enforcement officer while attempting to flee.

Incidentally, the latest operation comes after one on 25 May, when officers caught on to 16 offences and impounded 10 PMDs across various locations.

And on 17 May, the officers collaborated with the police and National Parks Board in one of the largest enforcement operations in Punggol Town, during which they detected more than 20 offences and impounded 11 devices, one of which outweighed the weight limit by nearly three times.

Image: Land Transport Authority Facebook

Active Mobility Act

As mentioned earlier on, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) actually introduced the Active Mobility Act in May last year, a process that slapped clear rules on speed limits and device specifications.

In a forum letter to The Straits Times last month, Mr Kenneth Wong, LTA’s Director of the Active Mobility Group, stated that surveillance and enforcement operations are conducted regularly across around 600 locations island-wide to pinpoint and apprehend erratic riders.

Since the Act was introduced, 3,700 active mobility offences have also been detected from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019.

According to The New Paper, around 20 per cent of the offences relate to speeding, reckless driving and the use of PMDs on roads, and around 50 per cent pertain to device non-compliance.

Those found guilty of riding unregistered devices on public paths can be fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for six months.

Further concerns

Just last month, questions were raised in Parliament regarding safety issues related to the usage of such devices.

A few Members of Parliament also called for them to be prohibited from footpaths and void deck spaces.

And honestly speaking?

I can’t help but concur with their calls.