92kg e-scooter heaviest seized amid tighter enforcement action

While most users of personal mobility devices (PMDs) are responsible in ensuring their safety and that of others, some are just dangerous. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan shared that some PMDs were also non-compliant. "We do get some who are not thoughtful, riding dangerously or using non-compliant PMDs," he wrote. "Power-assisted ones, like e-scooters and e-bikes, pose the greater risk, given their weight and speed."

In his post, Mr. Khaw shared photos of some of the illegal e-scooters and other devices that had been impounded by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) following tightened enforcement action against errant users.

Among them was a 92kg e-scooter, the heaviest seized to date and more than four times above the maximum weight allowed at 20kg. It beat the 64kg e-scooter LTA seized in enforcement operations last month by almost 30kg.

Mr. Khaw, whose post followed a visit to the LTA pound, said the seized items are kept in a storage facility and placed under round-the-clock closed-circuit TV monitoring. The items include PMDs seized from users who were speeding, and also those that were modified illegally. These devices should weigh a maximum of 20kg, have a maximum width of 70cm and a maximum motorised speed of 25km/h.

Mr. Khaw said as PMDs and bicycles are increasingly used in first-and last-mile connectivity, more needs to be done to educate users and promote responsible riding. He noted that 'changing habits take time', so in the meantime, the authorities are tightening enforcement against errant users.

Under the Active Mobility Act, which went into effect on 1^st May, PMDs have to adhere to weight, width and speed limits, with the rules also spelling out where the devices can be used. Offenders may face a jail term of up to six months, a $10,000 fine or both. In his post, Mr. Khaw said that the Act is an important step closer towards a safer riding culture.