Singapore to ban e-scooters from sidewalks amid rising injuries

Singapore is banning the use of electric scooters on all sidewalks starting tomorrow, spurred by the rise in e-scooter-related injuries and deaths.

Photo credit: Kostov / 123RF

Violaters will be fined up to S$2,000 (or about US$1,475) and/or jailed for three months, said Lam Pin Min, the senior minister of state for transport. However, the city-state will provide an advisory period that will last until the end of this year before the new rule is more firmly laid out.

By the end Q1 2020, after authorities pass amendments to the Active Mobility Act in Parliament, other personal mobility devices such as unicycles and hoverboards will also be banned on footpaths.

According to the senior minister, authorities catch an average of around 370 offenders a month. There were also many reported accidents, injuries, and deaths involving e-scooters.

The government also said it plans to work with companies such as Grab, Deliveroo, and Foodpanda to shift from e-scooters to bikes and motorcycles for deliveries. According to the minister, less than 30% of riders on Foodpanda and Deliveroo currently use e-scooters.

Operators of shared PMDs in Singapore are currently fighting for survival in the city-state where regulators have delayed licensing processes amid safety concerns from the public.

See also: E-scooter services are fighting a multifront battle for survival in Singapore

Earlier this year, US-based Lime withdrew its application for a sandbox license with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, indicating that the company was looking to “reprioritize our efforts to meet the fast-growing and strong demand for micro-mobility around the globe.”

Local operator Neuron Mobility also previously told Tech in Asia that it has stopped operating on private land as it waits out the delayed licensing process. Neuron, as well as other local startups Beam and Telepod, also have varying numbers of e-scooters impounded by the LTA.