Stricter rules for mobility devices among proposed measures to boost safety

Heavier penalties for illegally modifying vehicles also put forward under new Bill

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan

Under the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, the speed limit for personal mobility aids will be lowered from 10kmh to 6kmh.

(ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG)

Under a new Bill, it will be illegal from mid-2026 to keep e-scooters that do not meet fire safety standards, even if they are not used.

To improve the safety of users and other path users, the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, introduced by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on Jan 12, also proposes other measures.

These include the introduction of a Certificate of Medical Need, which will be required for a person to drive or ride a mobility scooter on public paths; mandatory registration of mobility scooters; and the lowering of the speed limit of personal mobility aids (PMAs) from 10kmh to 6kmh.

Motor vehicle owners will also be affected by the Bill: All Singapore-registered motor vehicles have to be fitted with an onboard unit (OBU) to use public roads; there will be heavier penalties for illegally modified vehicles; and missed Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges will be decriminalised.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans to roll out the new rules from mid-2026 to give stakeholders time to comply. It was previously reported that the changes were expected to take effect in the first quarter of 2026.

Non-compliant e-scooters pose serious fire risks, and such devices have been involved in a growing number of fires in recent years.

From January to October 2025, there were 44 fires involving mobility devices. In 2024, 67 blazes involved such devices, up from 55 in 2023 and 42 in 2022. There were 63 such fires in 2021 and 68 in 2020.