Above the Fray: E-scooter rider on walkway roof sparks new infrastructure idea (Video)

E-scooter rider travels atop the roof of a sheltered walkway. Photo: All Singapore Stuff/Facebook
E-scooter rider travels atop the roof of a sheltered walkway. Photo: All Singapore Stuff/Facebook

A video of an e-scooter rider traveling atop the roof of a sheltered walkway has gone viral on Facebook, sparking a vision of “flyovers” for users of personal mobility devices. 

The 30-second clip posted to several pages yesterday initially drew laughs from viewers for the rider’s hilarious creativity as well as concerns from those who thought it was a dangerous way to travel. And then there were those who pointed out the potential behind our roof rider’s over-the-top idea. 

Not a complaint, but why not create a sort of highway or flyover for [personal mobility devices]?” wrote a Celestine Lim in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group today.

“This is a great idea by creating an overhead pathway for PMD riders while pedestrians remain on the footpath. There is a clear separation of PMDs and pedestrians, and this should reduce the number of accidents,” she added in the post, which she included illustrations of what Singapore’s future could look like with flyovers. 

She added: “Pedestrians could also benefit [from the] extensive network of sheltered footpaths to shield them from the sun and rain. It could be a technically durable and economical solution.”

Ever since the ban of e-scooters from all footpaths was announced, videos of riders finding ways to skirt the law — including traveling on grass patches and on curbs — have surfaced, mostly to ridicule. Traveling on grass patches is also illegal in Singapore, and riders can be fined up to S$5,000, according to NParks. That’s more than double the maximum S$2,000 fine for riding e-scooters on footpaths. 

On the All Singapore Stuff Facebook page, where the video has been shared more than 3,000 times, user Victor Ng also thought that it would be a good idea if the authorities invested in a “multi-level footpath.”

Actually the idea is good … houses can stack, carpark can stack… why not stack footpath as well… pedestrians get shelter, bicycles, PMD, e-bike, PMA, get unrestricted access and solve road constraint crisis. Good job! Hopefully, someone from LTA notices this and develops a multi-level footpath plan by 2022 [sic],” he wrote in the comments.

Echoing Ng was user Simon Khoo.

Actually is this not a bad idea. Instead of squeezing everybody on the walking path, why not use the shelter in an innovative way but with safety grills on the side and reinforce shelter platform for bicycles and PMD?”

 

Related:

‘You take our freedom!’ Jurong MP feels delivery-rider fury over e-scooter ban
‘You are the hazard!’: Singapore’s e-scooter riders lash out at ban
Dropping banhammer, Singapore forbids e-scooters on all footpaths



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