SINGAPORE: There were nearly back-to-back fires at Yishun in the past few days, one at Block 717 Yishun Street 71 on Sept 18 and another at a coffee shop at Block 431C Yishun Avenue 1 on Sept 20. There were no reported injuries at either of the units.
However, Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Go expressed concern over the safety and security of residents and shared questions he brought up in Parliament concerning the issue.
Mr Go wrote that the questions he raised concerned residential fires related to active mobility devices (AMD).
He noted with thanks the “swift response and good work” of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, which meant limited property damage.
The MP also wrote that there has been an increase of nearly 4 per cent of residential fires throughout Singapore this year, for 970 incidents.
“We should hence be careful, including not to leave cooking unattended, and using AMDs in a safer and more responsible manner by steering clear of non-compliance that includes modifications,” he added.
The SCDF said that the fire on the first floor of Block 717 Yishun Street 71 involved several stalls at the coffee shop. It resulted in 100 people needing to be evacuated from the nearby premises as a precautionary measure.
As for the other fire at 431C Yishun Ave 1, the fourth-floor unit where the fire occurred was unoccupied at that time. It involved the unit’s entire living room area, according to the SCDF, and caused sustained heat and smoke damage to the rest of the unit.
Around 100 residents from the block’s third to sixth floors were evacuated in this incident. The SCDF said on Sept 20 that the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Aside from the two fires at Yishun, another occurred at Kaki Bukit Road 4 late last week.
Earlier this month, Mr Goh had asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many fire incidents in residential premises involving active mobility devices (AMDs) had been reported in the first half of 2024.
He followed this up by asking whether an increasing trend of such cases has been observed over the past five years and if additional measures are being considered against errant consumers and retailers of non-compliant AMDs or parts.
Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam answered that there have been 17 fire incidents in residential premises involving AMDs.
However, he noted that the number of AMD fire incidents in residential premises decreased from 78 in 2019. In 2022, there had been 31 and 35 in 2023.
The minister also reiterated the firm stance the LTA has taken in cases of non-compliant AMDs, and businesses and individuals have been required to obtain LTA’s approval to import Power-Assisted Bicycles (PABs) and motorized Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) into Singapore since June 2021.
Moreover, these devices need to meet requirements before being deemed roadworthy.
The LTA also conducts enforcement operations against non-compliant AMD users and errant retailers. There have been 5,100 offences involving non-compliant AMD devices on paths and roads and around 100 retailer violations between 2020 and 2023. /TISG
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