Motorised Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) such as e-scooters may soon have to conform to a safety standard, given the fire and electrical hazards they can pose to public safety. A proposed law that will be debated in Parliament on Monday (10 September) could require retailers to sell only PMDs that conform to the UL2272 standard from July next year.

The standard was developed by an independent United States certification company. The Land Transport (Enforcement Measures) Bill will also allow owners of motorised PMDs that do not comply with UL2272 to use their devices until the end of 2020. Motorised PMDs that do not meet the UL2272 standard will be illegal on public paths from January 2021. Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min told Parliament during the second reading of the Bill on Monday that there have been more than 80 fire incidents involving motorised PMDs since 2016, posing "serious public safety concerns".

"Currently, many of the motorised PMDs sold in Singapore do not conform to any reliable safety standard... Conformity with the standard under UL2272 can significantly improve the safety of motorised PMDs against fire and electrical hazards," said Dr. Lam. Twelve MPs will speak on the Land Transport (Enforcement Measures) Bill. The new laws will also pave the way for the registration of e-scooters and increase the penalties for motorists who cause damage to public streets and infrastructure.