Singapore Bans e-Scooters From Sidewalks After Rising Injuries The rule will be strictly enforced from January 1, 2020
By Aparajita Saxena •
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Singapore on Monday banned the riding of electronic scooters on footpaths, following a growing number of accidents and at least one fatality involving e-scooters.
Those found violating the new rule will be fined up to S$2,000, and/or jailed for three months, Lam Pin Min, senior minister of state for transport said, although the city-state will provide an advisory period that will last until the end of this year.
The new rule will be strictly enforced from January 1, 2020, and it is widely expected that other personal mobility devices, such as hoverboards and electric bikes, will fall under the ruling as well.
Public demand for the ban of e-scooters on sidewalks had become more persistent over the last couple of months, and the death of a 65-year-old woman who collided with an e-scooter while riding her bike in late September, as reported by the Straits Times, was the final nail in the coffin.
Singapore's GrabFood advised customers to expect longer waiting times for their food, and said some orders could even end up getting cancelled because of the sudden increase in traffic on the roads.
More than one in three of its delivery riders rely on e-scooters to move around, Grab told the Straits Times, adding the company might be forced to consider other modes of transports to meet customer demands.
Grab said it would also engage the Singapore government on whether it would be possible to allow riders who have shown responsible riding behaviours to continue using their e-scooters on the footpaths, under certain conditions, Straits Times reported.
Deliveroo, another food delivery company, said it will completely stop working with errant riders who use their bikes on the footpaths.
To provide some relief to riders who might lose their jobs because of the ban, the Singapore government said it will work with Workforce Singapore (WSG) to help them find new jobs.
