The Active Mobility Advisory Panel (Amap) submitted its proposal to the Ministry of Transport on Dec 14 that only people who are certified to have walking difficulties or medical needs should be allowed to use mobility scooters (Panel proposes limiting mobility scooters to those certified to have difficulty walking, Dec 15).

The panel, however, proposed that registration of mobility aids should not be introduced as this might deter those with a genuine need from using the devices.

I disagree. People who have a genuine need would not be discouraged, as long as the registration process is streamlined and smooth.

Because the scooters can be misused, either by ineligible users or those who speed, I propose that a registry for mobility scooters be created, licence numbers be issued, and prominent number plates be required to be displayed.

Lately, more people have also been seen riding their mobility scooters into MRT trains. In June 2021, a personal mobility device (PMD) caught fire in a lift, resulting in the death of the rider (‘It was too late’: Residents rushed to douse flames on man who died after PMD caught fire in lift, June 5, 2021). Although this was a rare case, if a similar fire were to occur in an illegally modified mobility scooter in an MRT train, there might be many casualties.

Requiring mobility scooters to be registered would discourage users from purchasing theirs from dubious sources without good safety requirements, and also discourage them from illegally modifying the devices. Registration would also enhance speed-limit enforcement. 

Candice Yeo Chay Hoon