LTA Deploying ‘Mobile CCTV’ To Catch Reckless Riders From 31 July Onwards

For the past year, bicycles aren’t the main subject of complaints on the pavements anymore.

It’s Personal Mobility Devices (PMD), or more specifically, the e-scooters.

And I mean, with stuff like these

Can you blame us?

Which is why the government is looking for ways to curb the few bad apples in the PMD community.

Such as the sudden change in the Mobility Act.

And now, this.

LTA Deploying “Mobile CCTV” From 31 July 2019

On 19 July 2019, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that they are undertaking an 18-month trial together with GovTech.

They will deploy mobile closed-circuit TV cameras and rotated across different hotspots including Punggol, Jurong West, Sembawang and Woodlands.

Maybe that was why they were asking the public for opinions on hotspots back in June this year.

Objectives Of The Trial

They aim to test if the video analytics software and radar technology in these CCTVs are effective enough to catch offences such as speeding.

And they’re planning to improve it so it can catch the speed, registration number and facial recognition of the offender.

And what will happen to the errant riders that were caught? They won’t be let off, unlike the smokers in Orchard Road during the transition period.

LTA assured that errant riders caught during the trial will face further investigation and punishment.

New Feature On MyTransport.SG

Previously, LTA said that the MyTransport.sg app will have a new function where members of the public can report errant riders.

That function, called the “Report PMD/PAB Incident” feature, or the baotoh feature as we call it, will be live on 31 July 2019.

LTA is hoping for this to have the “STOMP” effect, where riders are now more paranoid because anyone on the street might be reporting them to the authorities.

They boast, right now, there are 700,000 users of the MyTransport.sg app. That’s an extra 700,000 eyes on the streets. Booyah.

Okay, so not in those exact words but you get the gist.

Now, The Catch

So, does that mean your days of having an e-scooter zip by you at 25kmph or hearing loud oomph-sss-oomph-sss e-scooters might be a thing of the past?

Nope.

Unfortunately, the app isn’t able to detect speeding PMDs. However, the data can also help LTA pinpoint hotspots in Singapore.

This allows them to focus their enforcement actions in the area and do stuff like this:

And don’t think you can anyhow-anyhow report people you don’t like. LTA assured the public that they have a team on standby to differentiate between legitimate and fake reports.

They advise the public to be clear on what’s against the rules while identifying errant riders.

Whether there’s any penalty on fake reporting isn’t revealed yet.

All I can say is: Got to catch them all.