Singapore—On Tuesday, November 26, a nineteen-year-old was charged in court with causing hurt to a 12-year-old boy in an incident with an e-scooter that occurred on March 29, 2018.
Brendon Lim Chun Hsien was said to be operating his e-scooter at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour in a basketball court at Block 838, Yishun Street 81.
When a 12-year-old came along his way, Mr Lim was unable to slow down in time to avoid hitting the boy. According to charge sheets, the boy sustained bruising and other injuries to his face, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports. Later, the boy also had to have a molar removed.
Mr Lim will apply for a lawyer under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and is due to be back in court on December 18.
According to the police, they received an alert concerning the incident at 11:00 on the morning of March 29, 2018. In a statement, the police said, “The victim suffered bruising and abrasion on his right cheek and bleeding around the upper right first primary molar tooth.”
Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division were able to identify Mr Lim, who was promptly arrested.
If he is convicted of causing hurt by a rash act endangering the personal safety of others, he could end up in jail for as long as one year, be made to pay a fine of S$5,000, or both.
Earlier this month, e-scooters have been banned on public pathways due to growing concerns over public safety, especially since an elderly woman died after a collision with an e-scooter rider while she was on her bike.
Singapore’s Senior Minister of Transport, Dr Lam Pin Min, announced the ban in Parliament on November 4.
There have been mixed reactions to the ban, with many applauding it due to safety concerns, but others, especially food delivery riders who rely on Personal Mobility Devices (PMD) for their livelihood have expressed their dissatisfaction with the new ban.
Dr Lam said it had not been an easy decision to make. He wrote in a Facebook post on November 4, the day the ban was announced in Parliament, “We have been having extensive discussions about where PMDs should be heading. It is an emotive topic – some are for it, while others have called for a total ban immediately.
Singapore is land-scarce, and with many competing needs, it is practically impossible to dedicate separate paths for PMDs everywhere.
Despite major efforts to educate safe and gracious riding, irresponsible riding and accidents involving e-scooters have risen over the past few years, leading to injuries and even loss of lives.
After a month-long review, e-scooters will be prohibited on all footpaths with effect tomorrow, 5 Nov. What this means is that e-scooter users will have to dismount and push their devices on the footpaths, before they get to the cycling and Park Connector Networks where e-scooters are still allowed.
It has not been a straightforward nor a easy decision, but public safety always comes first and should never be at the expense of the young and elderly amongst us.
We hope to have Singaporeans’ understanding and support on this new policy and would urge all PMD users to continue to exercise safe and responsible behaviour when using their devices on other permissible areas such as cycling paths and park connector networks (PCNs).” /-TISG
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PMD users who ride on the grass beside sidewalks could be fined up to S$5,000