by Gary Heng
Dear Land Transport Authority (LTA), Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung, and Singapore Police Force (SPF),
Your LTA officers issued me a summon today for riding my e-scooter on a walkway.
They even said if there is only a short-distance walkway along two separated walkway and park connector network (PCN), an e-scooter rider should dismount from it and push his e-scooter until it reaches a separated walkway and PCN ahead, which he could then continue to ride on the PCN.
If this rule applies, almost every e-scooter riders are committing an offence almost every day.
Practically, if there are multiple short-distance
Can LTA or Minister Ong clarify on this, or show any video recordings that this is practised by every e-scooter riders?
Will LTA truly perform its duty diligently to install CCTV cameras in such short-distance walkways to catch such offenders so as to reassure the public that LTA is taking enforcement seriously, while knowing that such offences are committed every day in every such short-distance walkways by almost every e-scooter riders.
If not, LTA is as good as a sleeping cow enacting legislation but it does little to take such enforcement seriously. Could LTA also reveal how many e-scooter riders have been summoned under such offence.
What about if pedestrians walking on the PCN instead of a separated walkway when there is one? Can LTA issue summons to such pedestrians?
And if an e-scooter rider hit a pedestrian walking on the PCN when there is a separate walkway, will the e-scooter rider be penalised for it?
If yes, e-scooter riders virtually are penalised for every damned fxxking stupid regulations. And pedestrians, in such case, would just get away with an advisory.
Please advise if I could contact LTA if I encounter pedestrians walking on the PCN on a daily basis, as I would risk hitting them when they are not supposed to be walking on PCN.
I remember when I contacted the police or LTA several times in the past to offer feedback on encountering e-scooter riders speeding above 30km/h along some PCN – which I understand the speed limit is only 25km/h – the police would push such enforcement to LTA when the nature of speeding an e-scooter could potentially hurt or kill any passers-by.
When I contacted LTA, its reply was to send its enforcement officers to patrol the areas I gave feedback on another day, but it would not view CCTV cameras to penalise them.
Does this mean LTA is closing an eye on speeding e-scooters but aggressively summon riders like me who are law-abiding and riding below 25km/h for more than three years along Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 and Buangkok Green on weekdays?
Lately, I have seen many e-scooter riders aggressively riding in HDB neigbourhood areas which is prohibited for e-scooters. Where is LTA’s enforcement? And what is the point of installing CCTV cameras using our taxpayers’ monies?
The reason why I sometimes ride on the walkways along Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 and Buangkok Green is because the road surface condition of PCN there is terribly uneven due to poor workmanship, and littered with potholes or bumps due to poor maintenance which I could have hurt myself if I ride on it.
If LTA paid for such shoddy workmanship, I question if there were any lapses in LTA’s duty to inspect the road surface before paying its contractor. There is also the issue of corruption practice if such poor workmanship is accepted by LTA.
I hope the relevant departments will look into it seriously. For poor maintenance of PCN, this excuse I could confidently reply on behalf of LTA that it is due to social-distancing measures during this current COVID-19, which its officers would be spending more time working from home rather than inspecting PCN.
From what I understand, now even almost every LTA chiefs are working from home. This brings to the question if LTA has been neglecting its duties when many of its staff are working from home.
I have been riding e-scooters to work on weekdays for more than three years along Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 and Buangkok Green, I would be hurt one day if I continue to ride on uneven PCN.
I hope SPF or any relevant authorities will look into this because LTA or even ministers don’t care if we e-scooter riders are hurt in such a manner. This unsympathetic Singapore government only knows how to summon e-scooter riders for the slightest mistake.
Why should I waste my time giving feedback to LTA on uneven PCN, when instead LTA should send its officer to inspect periodically.
I have attached three photos of uneven PCN along Buangkok Green, but such conditions are countless along Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 and Buangkok Green.
