Singapore is slapping more restrictions on e-scooters with a newly announced plan to license riders.
E-scooter riders will need to be at least 16 and pass a theory test to obtain a license, it was announced today.
Those are among the new rules recommended by a panel and recently accepted by the government. No date has been set for when they will be implemented.
The government will also ban the use of mobile phones for those riding e-scooters unless the phones are being used “hands-free.”
Some of these rules will be extended to power-assisted bicycles and personal mobility aids.
The transport ministry will introduce a new code of conduct on the use of shared paths, replacing the current one that only focuses on PMD users. The code will be expanded to include guidelines urging pedestrians to keep to the left and stick to footpaths.
Additionally, businesses that use e-scooters will be required to procure third-party liability insurance for riders who use them for work.
The recommendations were submitted in September, Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min said.
“The Government has accepted all the recommendations which were recently submitted by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (#AMAP) for improving path safety … We will be looking into the implementation details of these measures,” the Land Transport Authority wrote on Facebook.
The Active Mobility Advisory Panel was set up in 2015 to look into regulations concerning personal mobility devices in Singapore. It is chaired by Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and Education.
Related:
Dropping banhammer, Singapore forbids e-scooters on all footpaths
Find all episodes of The Coconuts Podcast
Reader Interactions