Since the strict enforcement of the e-scooter footpath ban kicked in on Jan. 1, 2020, 24 errant e-scooter riders have been caught.
This number was revealed along with a reminder of the ban in a Jan. 5 Facebook post by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Senior Minister of State Lam Pin Min has since updated the figure, telling Parliament that three more errant riders have been caught, bringing the total figure up to 27.
#WeMeanBusiness
The post came with the "WeMeanBusiness" hashtag and also detailed recent operations carried out to enforce the ban.
One example was an "enforcement blitz" that occurred from Friday, Jan. 3 night to Saturday, Jan. 4 morning.
Plain clothes enforcement officers were stations throughout Bukit Panjang and Jurong on the lookout for e-scooter riders still using footpaths.
If convicted, non-compliant riders could face fines of up to S$2,000, and jail terms of up to three months, or both.
The Facebook post noted that several e-scooters were impounded as they exceeded the LTA's 20kg weight limit.
Power-assisted bicycle (PAB) riders who used footpaths were also caught.
"#Reminder You should not be riding your e-scooters and PABs on footpaths," said LTA.
Banned from footpaths after death of cyclist
The proliferation of these devices in the last few years has seen e-scooter and other personal mobility device users stoke the ire of many Singaporeans after a series of accidents that involved pedestrians.
One particular incident resulted in the death of 65-year-old cyclist Ong Bee Eng, who collided with a PMD rider in Bedok in September last year.
It was subsequently revealed that the e-scooter in question was a non-compliant device that exceeded the LTA's weight limit.
A sudden ban from footpaths was announced on Nov. 4, 2019, and came into effect the next day.
The ban saw the use of e-scooters confined to shared paths, including park connectors.
From Nov. 5 to Dec. 31, 2019, LTA handed out warnings to errant PMD users on footpaths, before strict enforcement was applied from Jan. 1, 2020 onwards.
Top image from Land Transport Authority Facebook page