Netizens take pity on woman spotted pushing Personal Mobility Aid along footpath

Amidst the hilarious gags about the e-scooter ban hammer yesterday, there was one particular scene that anyone with a heart would find pretty forlorn. 

In a video clip that has since gone viral on the Helloあsia Singapore Facebook page, a woman can be seen struggling to push her personal mobility device (PMD) along the footpath. 

It’s possible that her three-wheeled machine ran out of juice, but it’s also highly probable that she just doesn’t want to risk being caught riding a PMD on the pavement.

The Land Transport Authority’s official statement is that errant riders will only be given warnings for now, but fines (up to $2,000) and jail time (up to two months) will be enforced starting next year. 

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Netizens took pity on the lady, who appeared to be more like someone who has difficulty walking around than someone who’d go around whizzing dangerously on footpaths. 

But did she really have to push the machine? The mobility scooter she had is a personal mobility aid (PMA), which is very much legal and perfectly useable on footpaths (but not on roads).

It’s possible too that she was unclear about the details of the new regulation — which was suddenly passed earlier this week — and didn’t want to flout the law. 

The lady did have a reason to be apprehensive, though — LTA officers were out in force yesterday to warn e-scooter riders who were still riding on footpaths. 

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ilyas@asiaone.com