‘Brazen’ PMD riders with no helmets spotted along Hougang

Singapore — A group of six electric personal mobility device (PMD) riders were spotted along Hougang Road, sparking a call from netizens for authorities to put the group to task.

Facebook page ROADS.sg uploaded a video on Sunday (Feb 6) of an incident along Hougang Street 61.

The video showed a group of six PMD riders travelling on the road while the vehicle behind them recorded the scene on a dashboard camera.

“Why is this person so low?” asked a vehicle passenger, referring to the PMD riders.

“No, these are the illegal ones, lor,” another voice said. “They are on the road; they have no helmets,” the man added.

The PMD riders were caught on camera turning right onto Hougang Avenue 8.

The man continued, “So, I post this, right, they will get it lor. They should get it also. Anyhow one.”

“I’ve never seen them so brazen,” he added.

Members from the online community commented that the riders should be caught and fined.

“Should come out with the law. Being hit by vehicles or any form of transport is at their own risk. No action will be taken against the opposition,” said a netizen.

Others noted that the PMDs had no safety lights and licence plates on, and the riders were not wearing proper gear.

“I think some of them are not e-bikes but PMDs, which is even worse as they cannot be on the road,” commented a netizen on the post.

According to Must Share News, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) was looking into the issue.

LTA reiterated that PMDs are not allowed on roads, even with helmets.

Under the Active Mobility Act (AMA), PMDs must not be used on roads, footpaths, or pedestrian-only paths.

Riders of all other motorized PMDs such as hoverboards and electronic boards have also been banned on footpaths since Apr 3, 2020.

“It will usually be clear whether you are on a road: if it has cars or has traffic lights, then you should not use your PMD there,” notes Singapore Legal Advice on its website.

PMD riders who use their devices on a pedestrian-only path, footpath, or road can be fined up to S$2,000, imprisoned for up to three months, or both.

Repeat offenders can be fined up to S$5,000, jailed up to six months, or both.

The PMD can also be seized and later forfeited. /TISG

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