E-Scooter Rider Jailed For Knocking Pedestrian Down, Two Others Serving Probation

The heydays of e-scooters are pretty much over.

They’re no longer the kings and queens of pedestrian paths. And if they still want to be, well, going to jail is a possibility now.

E-Scooterist Jailed For One Week

On 26 Jan 2018, e-scooterist Toh Zhiwei collided with Madam Liang Yuan-Chia from the back.

She fell and suffered a minor head injury and strained buttocks.

His lawyer had tried to get him sentenced to a fine, but the assistant prosecutor said he “had shown no remorse”.

In the end, he was sentenced to a week’s jail because of the following points:

• The ground was wet
• There was a steady flow of human traffic
• Rode at the speed of 13 to 15km/h despite all that.

To Toh’s credit, he had not done a hit-and-run. Instead, he came forward to help and even reimbursed the lady’s $121 medical fees.

Unfortunately, the judge felt that PMD riders must learn to ride responsibly and safely.

Toh is preparing to appeal his sentence.

Two E-Scooterists On Probation

Muhammad Lutfi Dzakir Abdul Rahman, 18, and Yap Thanabadee, 19, were given probation after running down young children.

Lufti was riding on the pavement of a bus stop outside Eastpoint Mall when a three-year-old girl stepped out in front of him.

He could not stop in time and hit the girl.

He was given nine months’ supervised probation and was told to perform 80 hours of community service.

Yap was riding to JCube shopping mall when he knocked down a nine-year-old boy who was alighting from a bus.

He was given six months’ administrative probation and is to perform 150 hours of community service.

The Point

The point of this article isn’t to point finger at the three of them and say orbi good.

It’s to hammer in one point: the government is cracking down on PMD riders.

Even to the extent of sending you to jail if needed.

The UL2272 fire standard was brought forward because too many houses are burning down.

The PAP town councils have banned users from riding PMDs at the void decks and common areas of HDB estates.

Users are now able to report errant riders through the LTA app because when all else fails, STOMPing will not.

And the penalties for errant riders are no longer as lax as it was in the past.

In short? PMD riders, don’t play play hor.