Electric scooters will be banned from footpaths in Singapore from Tuesday (Nov 5), with offenders facing fines of up to S$2,000 and jail time of up to three months once the ban is strictly enforced from 2020.
E-scooters will be allowed only on cycling paths and park connector networks, though the use of such devices remains banned on roads here.
There will be an advisory period until Dec 31, during which errant users will be given warnings, to allow e-scooter riders time to adjust.
“From Jan 1, 2020, we will carry out strict enforcement, and those caught riding an e-scooter on footpaths will be liable for a fine up to S$2,000 and/or jail up to three months,” Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min said in Parliament on Monday.
The ban will not apply to bicycles or personal mobility aids such as motorised wheelchairs or mobility scooters, Dr Lam said.
By the first quarter of next year, other types of personal mobility devices (PMDs), such as hoverboards and electric unicycles, are also expected to be banned from footpaths.
In addition, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will reject existing licence applications for PMD-sharing services, and no new applications for such licences will be accepted because of safety concerns.
Dr Lam noted that other countries such as France and Japan – which banned the use of e-scooters on pavements last week – have also had to revisit rules governing the use of PMDs.
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