The number of errant Personal Mobility Device (PMD) users has jumped, with an average of 40 caught riding on the roads every month. This figure between January and November is 18 percent more than the monthly average of 34 recorded last year, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) yesterday following queries from The Straits Times. Most PMD users are electric scooter riders, who have been in the spotlight after a 52-year old man using such a device died last month following a collision with a double-decker bus in Kaki Bukit.

Besides the Road Traffic Act, PMD users will soon be governed by the Active Mobility Act as well. This new law, which will direct their conduct on public pathways, will take effect later this year or early next year, the LTA said. It will require users to, among other things, ensure their PMDs adhere to a maximum weight of 20kg and a maximum width of 700mm.

They also cannot exceed a speed limit of 15km/h on footpaths and 25km/h on cycling paths and shared paths on the Park Connector Network. The new law also empowers the LTA and agencies like the National Parks Board to issue summonses to reckless riders, who can be fined up to $5,000, or jailed for up to six months.

Meanwhile, the LTA has increased the number of enforcement officers from 24 in June to more than 50, as it intensifies enforcement action against PMD users on public roads. The officers are also being equipped with speed guns to make sure that PMD users stick to the speed limits in the new Act. An LTA spokesman said, "As the active mobility landscape is still evolving, the size of the enforcement team will be reviewed from time to time to correspond to the needs on the ground."

Errant riders caught on public roads were mainly travelling on minor roads, with a 'small minority' found on major roads and expressways, the LTA said. Last month, a man was arrested after a video showing an e-scooter rider sailing down the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) went viral on social media.

E-scooters form the bulk of the PMDs seized, along with some electric skateboards and hoverboards. The penalties for first-timers caught using PMDs on public roads is a maximum fine of $2,000, or a jail term of up to three months. For subsequent offences, they may be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for a maximum of six months.

To educate riders, the LTA has partnered community volunteers to form about 50 Active Mobility Patrol teams to raise awareness of safe riding habits and rules. Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport member Yee Chia Hsing said, "Hopefully, with increased enforcement, coupled with public education, we will see fewer PMD users on the roads."