Singapore—There’s been a lot of PMD-related news this week so far, starting from the announcement in Parliament on Monday, November 4, that e-scooters are banned on public footpaths, effective the following day.
Since then, there have been people creatively trying to circumvent the ban by using the grass— which the National Parks Board (NParks) said is an offence under the Parks and Trees Act, and a person who violates it could be fined as high as $5000.
In other PMD-related news, around 30 disgruntled food delivery riders, whose income was affected by the ban, attended the Meet-the-People Session of Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam on the day the ban was imposed, to air their concerns, which the Minister said he would bring up to both the Cabinet and the Ministry of Transport.
The latest news along this vein concerns a Grabfood cyclist, who was allegedly pushed by a pedestrian at an estate in Yishun Avenue 11. Netizen Liew Yong Liang posted a photo on Facebook showing GrabFood delivery riders sitting on the grass beside their PMDs in the foreground, while two policemen are seen talking to a woman at the back of the photo.
Mr Liew wrote, “Pedestrian pushing down a fellow Grabfood cyclist on a PCN after signaling from a far, slowly pass by them and got pushed down by a pedestrian. Still can yell at the fellow Grabfood cyclist, ‘YOU HOW CAN CYCLE HERE?!’”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2441573489273851&set=a.172674352830454&type=3&theater
A PCN, for those who are curious, is the abbreviation for a park connector network (PCN).
And as proof that this week’s ban is such a hot topic, Mr Liew’s post has been shared over 2,500 times.
Perhaps the confusion of the pedestrian who allegedly pushed the rider is because people are unaware that E-scooters are actually allowed on PCNs, along with shared paths and cycling.
It is on roads, public footpaths and grass where they are not allowed.
Netizens who commented on the photo were unhappy that the pedestrian allegedly pushed the rider.
Many stood up for food delivery riders.
One netizen reported seeing other posts along a similar vein, with the public taking the law into their own hands, vigilante-style, and urged people to be careful.
Others appealed to Grab to help their rider.
One commenter said that its people who use their PMDs irresponsibly who are really to blame.
/TISG
Read related: PMD users who ride on the grass beside sidewalks could be fined up to S$5,000
PMD users who ride on the grass beside sidewalks could be fined up to S$5,000