A young girl was recently seen dangling precariously outside a personal mobility aid (PMA) travelling along a road in Yishun.

The PMA, carrying a family of four individuals, was driven by a man who held onto the girl with one hand while steering the device with the other.

Family of four

A woman surnamed Guo (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News that she saw what appeared to be a family of four individuals travelling in a PMA on the road outside Junction Nine in Yishun at around 9pm on Feb. 28, 2024.

Guo, who was in a vehicle making her way home with her family at the time, said a boy was standing on the PMA's footboard in the space between the PMA's seat and steering wheel.

Two people were sitting on the PMA's seat, the driver and another individual.

The individual was sandwiched between the driver and the young boy.

The driver, who sat at the back of the PMA, had one hand on the handlebars while his other hand held onto the young girl.

The young girl was facing the road and her body was out of the device.

Other vehicles on the road

Guo said she saw the family of four travelling in this manner on the road for at least 10 minutes. There were other vehicles on the road during that time.

She expressed her concern:

"I think it is very dangerous. If the girl falls on the road and is run over by a car behind, the consequences would be unimaginable.

And if there truly is an accident, they will not only injure themselves but also the other commuters on the road."

Guo said this was the first time she saw four people on a PMA together and added that she hopes the authorities can deal with the violaters to avoid any tragedies.

PMA regulations

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) states that PMAs, such as wheelchairs, motorised wheelchairs or mobility scooters, are designed to carry only one individual who is unable to walk or has walking difficulties.

They can be used on footpaths and cycling tracks, but not on roads, and can only travel at a speed of up to 10kmh.

In December 2023, the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) put forth a report to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) proposing to reduce the speed limit of PMAs from 10kmh to 6kmh, among others, to curtail the misuse of PMAs by able-bodied persons.

AMAP also proposed to only allow individuals with certified walking difficulties or medical needs to use PMAs, and to restrict the dimensions of PMAs on public paths to those for public transport.

LTA currently restricts the dimensions for PMAs on public transport to a width of 70cm, length of 120cm, height of 150cm, and laden weight of 300kg.

PMA regulations

Top image from Shin Min Daily News