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MOT reviewing if law needed to curb online sale of non-compliant mobility devices

2024-03-05 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - After several thousand offences involving non-compliant mobility devices on paths were detected here, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) is reviewing if laws are needed to stop the sale of such devices online.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng said this in Parliament on March 5.

He was replying to questions by Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) on the ministry’s plans to carry out enforcement action against retailers and distributors of non-original batteries for active mobility devices (AMDs).

Mr Baey said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) detected around 5,100 offences involving non-compliant devices on paths and roads from January 2020 to December 2023.

During that period, LTA found about 100 violations from operations conducted against retailers who sell such devices.

Mr Baey said: “If the online retailer or platform is based in Singapore... and we know of non-compliant devices being sold or being placed as an advertisement on the platforms, we’ll reach out to these online retailers and ask them to take down or stop the sale of such devices.

“There’s no law per se, but we are currently reviewing how we can strengthen this aspect of regulation.”

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Currently, there are laws governing the physical sale of non-compliant mobility devices in shops. However, the law does not cover the online sale of such devices.

Mr Baey noted that while MOT can conduct operations against retailers with physical shops, many riders get their devices from overseas sources online.

This creates a challenge in acting against these online retailers, he added.

Mr Baey reminded the public to use only devices that comply with Singapore’s regulations, adding: “Some of these devices may be purported to be very good, (and sold at a) very reasonable price, but they may be constructed for use in a different climate and in different terrain than Singapore’s.”

It is illegal to use non-compliant devices on public paths here, and those who do so can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $10,000 or both.

Retailers who sell non-compliant devices can be fined up to $20,000, while those who modify their devices illegally can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to 24 months or both.