Regulating PMAs is just throwing the problem around and not solving it.
As someone who cycles very often to run errands or occassionally for leisure via PCNs, I can tell you the fault doesn't always lie with PMAs or e-scooter users.
Many times, I observed people have their eyeballs glued to their phones instead on their walking path. I often ring my bells from as far as 50 to 100m in advance to signal to them that me and my bike are approaching.But some of them even have their airpods on.
Sometimes, you see parents letting their kids stray free on designated cycling paths, or in the middle of shared paths. Old folks deliberately chose to walk on designated cycling paths or part of the shared paths that obstructs pedestrian flows because there are trees on top to shade them.
The cyclist part of things, most of them don't have the courtesy to signal pedestrians. A friend even told me he modded his bicycle with loud gears and that the sound should suffice to signal people that his bike is approaching, and with this mod there is no need to have a bell installed on his bike because he thinks its not "stylish".
The problem with these delivery PMAs/e-scooters is that most of them never have the courtesy to signal pedestrians ahead of their approach. As a cyclist, what annoys me about this group is that instead of signal for a cut, they tailgate you. I gave way, the knew it, but still chose to tailgate. I have lost count of the times I try to be nice and gave way and almost got myself into accidents.
So what's the point of my post?
For far too long, Singapore have developed this toxic culture of throwing problems around, between govt, businesses and people, or even between people, and all avoiding the hassle of actually tackling the root of the problem.
Most PMA, e-bikes users I observed are delivery riders. Limiting travelling speed means killing their livelihood. They rode fast because the more deliveries they made the more income they make. So, when I saw news of certain delivery company "warns" of longer delivery times, I am like, wait, are you faulting the customers? LOL
Politics side of things, this recently announced speed limitation is just classic PAP ivory tower reactive policymaking. How hard is it to spend some time, walk the ground, talk to people, and hear stories from all sides?
This isn't a new idea. We've probably lost count of the number of times govt throw a blanketing policy and it often ends up upsetting the balance of things, and creating their own dilemma, which again they throw it back to companies, companies throw to people, people then throw it back to them, then rinse and repeat.
No, this is not about dissing PAP. Its besides the point.
At the heart of it, all parts of the society have to work together collectively. Policymaking should support that, and not just blunt invoking a rule that kills one group to satisfy the other, when the "other" also have equal responsibilities to play.
“so what’s the point of my post?” is the key highlight
then goes on for another 6 paragraphs.
Did I not explain myself? Or you were expecting to see some proposed solutions at the bottom of the post?
I don't see pedestians ramming each other at speeds of 25km/h or more. As a cyclist, even if they don't look out for you, you should look out for them. You are of speeds and mass higher than them after all.
i am really glad to know the considerate riders you talked about exist. It would be nice if more PMA users are like that.
unfortunately, to people like my parents who are seniors - who dont use phones while walking - who are slower and more unstable on their feet, they are still a risk. To the rider themselves, i assume they think that they are swerving around safely to avoid the pedestrian. But for them, the speed is too fast and as they are not able to perceive the distance between vehicle themself, too fast movement for such a tight space: subconsciously, their body reacts to move out of the way, which often causes them to lose balance.
my mother has learnt to freeze up, hug the wall or railing whenever a PMA approaches. This is a once or twice weekly occurance for her. I live in near one of those HDB heartland malls with many food places and seniors. I dont think it is the fault of seniors liking to chill in community spaces with their toddler grandkids, even if they are physically frailer.
it does suck for like the majority of the conscientious riders you mentioned, but i think the blame lies with small percentage that arent that considerate for ruining things for the rest of you.
PMAs are devices that are used to fulfill medical needs. No healthy individual should be using them to do delivery, that is misuse and they should rightfully be prosecuted for it.
And why did people move to PMA? Because you banned all the PMDs. The government will do everything except building proper bike lanes
Some handicap folks use this for delivery and sell tissues for a living.
And you just open another good can of worms - If this new regulations is gonna potentially hurt these healthy PMA delivery riders, they need another job. What can they do? Why did they even do this gig for a living instead of finding a proper stable paying job elsewhere?
This brings back memories of how Lam Pin Min was labelled "lam pah" when he first establised his blanketing policy that affected the riders.
I used to cycle on the road but stopped as I deem it too much risk for myself.
Then I cycled at PCN , shared path etc etc and found that I am expecting too much for pedestrians. For I am a pedestrian myself and I found that many times, I am unable to walk side by side with my partner, let my niece and nephews walk by themselves, without risking an accident.
So I stopped cycling on shared path as I feel, unlike the cyclist (who can choose to cycle on the road), the pedestrians have no other choices but to used these path.
Root cause is cycling infrastructure is trash and the govenrment would rather pit cyclist and PMD riders against pedestrians instead of building proper, seperated bike lanes
Root root cause is lack of space for proper infrastructure
Root root root cause is the lack of political will to sacrifice road space for cycling lanes.
There is genuinely no lack of space aside from conserved areas with shophouses and older private estates, because our urban planning regulations already set aside generous land buffer for road widening via Road Reserve Lines.
Don't let Singapore's tiny land area to fool you that we have no space. Our major roads are much wider than those in many other cities!
There is simply no need for 3 or 4-lanes major roads cutting through the middle of HDB towns. And i'm saying this as a car driver.
This is one thing that annoys me alot. There is no consistency with the creation of bicycle paths. They make a long stretch that leads to nowhere. Some parts have, some don't.
But even with designated bike lanes, pedestrians are still straying and sprawling all over the bike lanes. Some even let their kids stand right in the middle of the path unattended. Essentially looking for trouble.
Killing their livelihood is a bit of an overstatement. Unless they have valid medical reasons, we have to acknowledge that they could cycle to do deliveries. We must also be fair to delivery riders who went through the proper channel to obtain their riding license. These guys paid good money for their license but they are competing against illegal e-bikers who use the same road without paying for the road tax.
Welcome to the real world where perfect solutions don't exist for every problem
Protected bike lanes seperated from both cars and pedestrians
Teleportation would be good too, but some things are limited by cost and practicality
Nobody is asking for perfect solutions.
We’re asking for solutions that consider the working class and address root causes.
This involves multiple solutions - not just one band-aid regulation.
Too bad, most people here don't get the point.
Something something Singapore has no land space for alternate modes of transport, country is too full.
Something something Singapore has 14% of land area covered by vehicular roads. But some things are limited by cost and practicality ah.
To be honest, sg is a small country with limited land mass. How realistic is it to keep building and building more lanes?
I have seen cyclists on multiple occasions overtake pedestrians without signalling with the bell even though they are coming from quite far back. And also not using the light when cycling at night. All bad practices and can cause danger to many
PMAs no need say - they obstruct the entire pathway lol
We were doing just fine before the deluge of PMAs into our paths and walkways.
And we will do just fine without them too
So, what's your alternative to restricting PMA usage and limiting the size and weight??
Basically the same reason why I gave up cycling around my estate. The pathways are very narrow and many times, people have their earbuds in or they are elderly and can't hear my bell. Then when I try to go around them, they get a shock and I'm scared that an elderly person might lose their balance and fall.
So whats the solution you propose?
Going by logic, we should just ban them. Just like other countries.
Don't regulate things you can't enforce. Ban them instead. There exist bicycles, motorcycles for food delivery and electric wheelchairs for disabled.
People used electric personal mobiles for food delivery because it allows them to traverse up slopes easily and its fast.
More deliveries = more income. And this is why they are always rushing. And with the meagre money the riders are earning, the more they need to rush.
So now govt throw this problem out their door to the platform operators. These companies pushes the problem to customers. Their notion of "warning customers of longer delivery times" is as such.
Most of these folks doing food delivery are able-bodied people who were displaced from their full time jobs. People who do this part time won't feel the crunch from this new regulations.
Platform operators don't maintain full-time fleets like DHL and FedEx do because of the volume of business and operating costs. It is cheaper to have people buy their own bikes and insurance instead.
One way to solve this is to mandate food delivery be done exclusively by bikes/vans/cars. Long before Grab Food and Foodpanda was a thing, fast food chains have their riders deliver by motorbikes.
But this will give operators a chance to drive up costs and pass it down to customers.
In a country and economy model like Singapore, food delivery model just doesn't work. In bigger economies, these are often done by motorbikes and bikes are petrol are substantially cheaper. Malaysia even have subsidized petrol. In Singapore, there's COE to overcome.
Some people here mentioned that there is no perfect solutions. Well, how do you have perfect solutions when your policies and rules often conflicts and contradicts another - and this is mostly because our policies never renews with whole the society evolves.
cool cool cool