Singapore bans e-scooters from pavements

Singapore has banned electric scooters from pavements in a move which could cost offenders fines up to S$2,000 along with three months in prison.
November 21, 2019 Read time: 1 min

Senior minister of state for transport Lam Pin Min says: "This ban of e-scooters from footpaths is a difficult decision. But it is a necessary step for pedestrians to feel safe again on public paths, while still allowing e-scooters to grow in tandem with cycling path infrastructure."

A report by The Straits Times says authorities will mainly issue warnings to riders for now but will adopt a zero-tolerance approach from 2020.

The ban will confine e-scooters from 5,500km of pavements to 440km of cycling paths. It will also be gradually extended to other motorised personal mobility devices (PMD) such as hoverboards and unicycles in the first quarter of next year.

"We expected the co-sharing of footpaths to be challenging but we were hopeful that with public education, PMD users would be gracious and responsible," Min continues. "Unfortunately, this was not so."

Min emphasised that PMDs can still be used on cycling paths and park connectors. Singapore’s cycling network is expected to triple by 2030.

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • ITS Netherlands and Canada announce MoU
    March 26, 2014
    ITS Netherlands and ITS Canada signed an MoU at the show yesterday, aiming to learn from each other’s experiences in the sector. “Our relationship goes way back,” said the organisation’s president, Michael de Santis, “but we thought it was an opportune time here at Intertraffic to formalise this.”
    Read More
  • Colorado signs exec order to support transition to ZEVs
    January 25, 2019
    Governor of Colorado Jared Polis has signed an executive order which outlines a suite of initiatives to support a transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEV) in the US state. Polis says: “Our goal is to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2040 and embrace the green energy transition already underway economy-wide” He believes the public health and environmental benefits of widespread transportation electrification will increase as the state moves towards a cleaner electric grid. The initiatives include
    Read More
  • Ojo Electric develops sit-down e-scooter for commuters in Texas
    January 17, 2019
    Ojo Electric has launched an electric scooter which comes with a seat to serve as part of a ride-share service in Austin, Texas. The deployment stems from an agreement with Austin Commuter Scooter (ACS), a subsidiary of Bike Share of Austin. Elliott McFadden, executive director of Bike Share of Austin, says the service will link to public transportation needs while reducing carbon emissions and congestion. Ojo and ACS will share data on usage and ride trends through the scooter’s on-board telemetr
    Read More
  • Majority of Brits do not think AVs will reduce accidents, says Axa
    December 3, 2018
    Three-quarters of UK residents do not believe driverless cars will improve road safety, even though 90% of accidents are caused by human error. In a survey of 2,000 respondents, insurance firm Axa says only a third of UK residents believe driverless cars would be better for the environment and only 25% think the technology will improve safety for pedestrians. Axa emphasises that motorists are confused by the definition of a driverless car as well as by what sort of autonomous technology is available in mo
    Read More

Highlighted Content