Image Source: The Straits Times
Electric scooters are banned from footpaths in Singapore starting today, and riders will only be able to use cycling paths and park connector networks. In a statement in Parliament on Monday, Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min said that the government will begin carrying out strict enforcement of the ban starting from 1 January, 2020, with offenders facing fines of up to S$2,000 and up to three months of jail time.
That's mostly fine if you don't own an e-scooter, and the move has generally been welcomed by pedestrians nervous after a slew of e-scooter-related accidents. In September, a 65-year-old cyclist died in hospital after she collided with an e-scooter.
However, the ban also affects startups and food delivery services whose riders rely on e-scooters. GrabFood today sent out a message to customers seeking understanding for longer delivery times. 1 in 3 of its riders use e-scooters, but the ban means that they'll now need to dismount and walk for "a large part of their journey".
"We seek your understanding that there may be a longer waiting time for your food orders or you may experience cancellations as our delivery partners may not be able to cover the delivery distance on foot," the company said.
However, Grab told The Straits Times that it will try to work with the government on possibly allowing riders who have shown responsible riding behaviour to continue using their e-scooters under certain conditions.
Deliveroo has also said that it will stop working with riders who continue to use their e-scooters on pedestrian walkways. The startup seems to be less affected than Grab. According to a spokesperson, the firm expects minimal impact on deliveries as "personal mobility devices and power-assisted bicycle riders currently constitute 5 per cent of our overall fleet of 6,000 riders".
Grab also offers e-scooter rentals in certain areas of Singapore, but it said it will suspend the service over time.
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