Just yesterday, I witnessed yet another argument between a pedestrian and a PMD rider. Apparently, the PMD rider had honked earlier but the pedestrian didn’t hear him, which led to a near-collision.
I nearly took out my phone to film a viral video which I can sell to Goody Feed. I nearly went forward to stop an impending fight.
We all have that love-hate relationship with PMDs—we don’t want them to ply the footpath to send food for others, but want them to go faster when it’s our food.
It’s a Catch-22 situation, and the authorities have finally revealed the new measures today.
Prevent Fires
By now, PMD fires have almost become part and parcel of our lives.
And they should not be incidents that we are accustomed with.
After a string of fires that have so far taken one life, the LTA is bringing forward the deadline for all PMDs to meet UL2272, a safety standard that will reduce the risk of fire. PMDs that are certified UL2272 ensures that the charging of the device is cut off automatically once the battery is fully charged.
So far, all the PMD fires were caused by non-UL2272-certified devices. All e-scooters have to be registered since the end of June 2019, and it’s revealed that almost 90% of the e-scooters in Singapore isn’t UL2272-certified.
Since 1 July 2019, retailers aren’t supposed to sell non-UL2272-certified devices as well. Users, initially, have until 1 January 2021 to switch to a UL2272-certified device, as non-UL2272-certified devices will be completely banned by then.
However, Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport, said in Parliament today that the deadline would be brought forward to 1 July 2020—which means non-UL2272-certified PMD users now have less than a year to switch to a device that’s certified.
In addition, there’s a new rule: from 1 April next year, all e-scooters that are UL2272-certified (by then it should be mostly UL2272-certified e-scooters on our streets) would need to go for compulsory inspections.
That’s just like vehicle inspection: lest you’re unaware, all vehicles in Singapore have to go through mandatory inspections regularly, and the frequency depends on the type and age of a car. For example, a 5-year-old car needs to be inspected every two years, and an 11-year-old car needs to be inspected annually.
If the condition of the car isn’t satisfactory (e.g. bald tyres or weak brakes) or there has been an illegal modification, the vehicle won’t pass the inspection and its road tax can’t be renewed, which means that the insurance cannot be renewed, too. A car without insurance cannot be driven on the road at all.
The cost of the inspection isn’t expensive; it’s at $64.20, and the process usually takes about ten minutes, though you might need to spend a long time queuing during peak hours.
The frequency of inspection for e-scooters isn’t disclosed, yet, though.
Banning of PMD Use in Void Decks and Common Corridors in PAP Town Councils
Other than the prevention of fire, Dr Lam also revealed a new plan that’ll lead to cheers when you’re on your way home, and frowns when you’ve just ordered food delivery.
The 15 PAP town councils will ban the use of PMDs in void decks and common corridors, which means your poor food delivery rider would have to walk on the void deck to find the correct lift to your unit.
This decision was made after discussions with the town councils.
The only town council that hasn’t committed to this is the opposition-run town council, Aljunied-Hougang East Town Council, which is still considering the ban.
It’s unknown when this ban will take effect, but by the end of this year, there would be 200 enforcement officers on the ground.
Also, a three-month trial of pedestrian-only zones (POZs) will be launched within the town centres in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Batok and Khatib, and at a neighbourhood centre in Tampines. If it works, they will be implemented in other town centres.
While this would lead to slower food delivery (sorry, I can only think of them when it comes to PMD), it’s a necessary move without having to ban them altogether.
Dr Lam said, “It is the rider who decides whether it is beneficial or detrimental to our lives. I am convinced that Singaporeans can be taught to use PMDs responsibly, as they have with bicycles. I am confident that we can bring about the safe sharing of paths with PMDs.”
Well, the authorities’ crackdown on bike-sharing has led to a cleaner and safer Singapore, so let’s hope this would also translate to fewer arguments with PMD riders.
Because the argument I saw yesterday was so intense, I thought I would need to be a witness for a fight.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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