Singapore to mandate theory test for e-scooter users

Users of e-scooters and power-assisted bicycles, or electric bikes, in Singapore will soon need to pass a theory test prior to riding in public, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced today.

The ministry also expanded a code of conduct that currently focuses on personal mobility device (PMD) users to include guidelines for pedestrians, including keeping left while walking on footpaths.

Photo credit: Kostov / 123RF

MOT said that the measures will be implemented following the acceptance of all the recommendations made by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP), which is aimed at improving pedestrian and active mobility device user safety.

These measures include prohibiting the use of mobile phones while riding mobility vehicles on public paths and roads, unless the phone is mounted or used hands-free. MOT also added that users below the age of 16 can continue to use their devices when under adult supervision.

In addition, MOT plans to work with the advisory panel “to consider whether third-party liability insurance should be made mandatory for other individual device riders.”

The panel, which is made up of representatives from key active mobility stakeholder groups such as seniors, youth, cyclists, and PMD users, first made recommendations on the rules and code of conduct in March 2016.

The new regulations deliver another blow to startups that rely on e-scooters to operate, such as public scooter-sharing firms and food delivery businesses.

MOT’s announcement today follows the city-state’s recent ban on the use of e-scooters on sidewalks, brought by a rise in pedestrian and rider injuries. Speaking on the ban, a spokesperson for e-scooter rental startup Beam told Tech in Asia that the startup is “dissatisfied and frustrated by the decision to effectively ban PMDs in Singapore.”

The government also previously said it plans to work with companies such as Grab, Deliveroo, and Foodpanda to shift from e-scooters to bikes and motorcycles for deliveries.