Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng introduced in the present day (March 5) that e-scooter and electrical bicycle riders will quickly should take “necessary principle assessments”.

He reasoned that these assessments will assist guarantee all riders of such motorised gadgets are conscious of the prevailing guidelines and codes of conduct.

Whereas no precise date was given, he specified that the assessments will begin from the center of this yr. He added {that a} check handbook will probably be launched subsequent month.

This announcement comes a yr after the federal government first accepted suggestions on e-scooter utilization from the Energetic Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP).

The panel had beforehand proposed that e-scooter riders ought to be a minimum of aged 16 and cross a principle check first earlier than they’re allowed to experience in public.

These beneath the age of 16 nonetheless, requires grownup supervision in the event that they want to experience.

Moreover, Mr Baey introduced that every one bicycles used on public paths and roads may even be required to have a minimum of one functioning handbrake, with impact from September 2021.

Following a deadly accident involving a brakeless bicycle final yr, the AMP had proposed this advice, which the federal government accepted earlier in January.

To date, the accidents involving motorised private gadgets (PMDs) on footpaths have decreased by nearly 80 per cent between 2019 and 2020.

There have been 30 such accidents in 2020, in contrast with 144 within the earlier yr.

Transferring ahead, the authorities will probably be stepping up schooling efforts. A brand new marketing campaign will probably be rolled out in Could to boost consciousness on how paths might be shared in a protected and gracious method.

There are additionally plans to refresh the Protected Using Programme, which was began in 2018, within the second quarter of this yr to make it extra interactive.

Featured Picture Credit score: Klook