58-Year-Old Female Cyclist Knocked Down By Youth Doing Food Delivery On E-Scooter

By
Neha Joby
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It’s been less than a year since the government banned the use of e-scooters and all Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) on roads and footpaths.

There was a very good reason why these devices were banned in the first place. They can be pretty dangerous and have caused numerous accidents in the past, with one incident even racking up $445,000 in damages and losses to the victim’s family.

Yet, people still insist on using these devices, which inevitably leads to more accidents, like this one:

Cyclist Knocked Down By Food Delivery Rider On E-Scooter

A 58-year-old female cyclist was knocked down by an e-scooter near Block 769 in Woodlands Drive 60 on Monday, 31 August.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Monday and the police were alerted around 12.10am.

The injured lady, who was still conscious, was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

So, what happened?

Well, a guy was using his e-scooter to make a food delivery.

Not just that, he wasn’t alone; his girlfriend was on the e-scooter as well.

Image: Tenor

Now, if you’re wondering why we are emphasising the fact that there’s a pillion rider, let’s go into basic Physics.

Force = Mass x Acceleration, right? So with the girlfriend’s weight on the e-scooter as well…

Image: Tenor

Unless she managed to jump off in time lah.

They collided with the cyclist, which caused her to fall heavily onto the pavement. Her bicycle was slightly damaged as well and it had a bent front wheel.

Aftermath

A 21-year-old resident, who wants to be known only as Ms Yana, said that she saw the cyclist lying injured on the pavement.

“The delivery rider’s girlfriend was frightened and stood there crying. I was not sure if the cyclist’s injuries were serious, but she was conscious,” she told Shin Min Daily News.

After a while, a small crowd gathered in the area. They were trying to help the cyclist and prevent her from getting up too soon, in case it aggravated her injuries.

Image: Shin Min Daily News

The delivery rider himself offered to help, and he got a few of his friends to complete his food delivery for him.

Eventually, paramedics arrived at the scene and tended to her.

Banned On Footpaths Since November 2019

The police are investigating the incident as a case of rash act causing hurt.

The new rules that were passed in November 2019 under the Active Mobility Act (AMA) state that PMDs should not be used on roads, footpaths or on pedestrian-only paths.

The new rules mean that PMDs can only be used on shared paths, which are basically cycling paths.

However, it seems like many riders are not too worried about being caught for illegally riding their e-scooters.

In fact, Ms Yana also informed Shin Min Daily News that she often sees food delivery riders on e-scooters or power-assisted bicycles around Woodlands Mart.

Some of them would even be speeding or playing loud music in the early hours of the morning.

If they are caught riding on pedestrian-only paths, they can be fined up to $1,000 and/or jailed for up to three months. Likewise, if they are caught riding on footpaths or roads, they can be fined up to $2,000 and/or jailed for up to three months.

Unfortunately, despite these punishments, it seems like PMD riders are unfazed and here to stay.

After all, we usually hear about a PMD incident once every few weeks.

So I’m pretty sure you’ll be reading at least one other article just like this in the month of September.

Speaking of inconsiderate people, have you heard about the inconsiderate driver who illegally parked at BlueSG lot and caused a man to be charged extra money?

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

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Neha Joby
Email: [email protected]