The new Land Transport and Related Matters Bill passed in Parliament this week (4 Feb) will ensure safer journeys for pedestrians and road users across Singapore.
Eighteen PAP MPs spoke up for platform riders and the elderly in the Parliamentary debate on the Bill.
For mobility vehicles — such as mobility scooters, and motorised wheelchairs — the Bill lowers their speed limit to 6km/h, which is the pace of a brisk walker. Users must also have a medical certificate for their mobility vehicles. Mobility vehicles must also fit specific size and weight limit.
Source: Baey Yam Keng / Facebook
“This targets the core problem of able-bodied users misusing devices meant for those with mobility needs,” said Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng. “Genuine users shared that the increased misuse of mobility scooters has caused them anxiety, because they have had to deal with increasing scrutiny from the public.”
To combat the scourge of PMD fires, possessing a mobility scooter which does not comply with UL2272 certification will be an offense. Most of the 31 personal mobility device-related fires in 2025 involved non-UL2272-certified devices.
“These measures represent an important shift to implement upstream controls and strengthen our laws to make our path safer for everyone,” said MOS Baey. “It will enable those with mobility needs who genuinely need to use personal mobility aids to use them safely alongside other path users.”
New penalties for tampering with ERP 2.0 On-board Units and vehicles, and 10x the penalties for lorry speed limiter offences
People who illegally modify vehicles, or tamper with on-board-units (OBU) will also face more severe penalties.
“Today, there are over 1,000 cases of illegal vehicle modifications detected annually,” noted Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow. “Under the Bill, individuals can face fines up to $20,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, with penalties doubled for repeat offenders.”
New penalties will also apply to lorry drivers and owners with non-compliant speed limiters.
This is ten times the previous maximum fines of $1,000 and $2,000 respectively, which only targeted drivers and the person who directly tampered with the speed limiters.
“All parties who are involved in speed limiter tampering can [now] be held accountable,” said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann about the Bill’s amendments. “MHA [Ministry of Home Affairs] remains concerned by the road safety situation and has plans to further tighten our laws and regulatory framework.”
The PAP GPC for Transport and PAP MPs speak up for PWDs, the elderly and platform riders
Eighteen PAP MPs raised tough questions about the Bill, concentrating on enforcement of these new penalties, as well as how the government can provide support for the elderly, people with disabilities (PWDs) and platform riders.
MP Jackson Lam (Nee Soon GRC), spoke up for seniors who genuinely need PMAs.
“Seniors navigating medical assessments, online systems, or registration processes should not feel anxious or overwhelmed,” he said. “I encourage the Ministry to continue pairing regulation with strong outreach — through community centres, healthcare providers, and grassroots organisations — especially during the transition period.”
In response, MOS Baey assured that many vulnerable groups have been granted exemptions.
“Exemptions include seniors aged 70 and above, those who have already obtained government-subsidised mobility scooters, and those who have applied for MOH disability schemes to help with activities of daily living [ADL] needs in mobility and or transferring. We are working to exempt more user groups with other relevant assessments where possible,” said MOS Baey.
“LTA will continue to work with the Agency for Integrated Care and SG Enable as well as relevant social service agencies such as SPD [the Society for the Physically Disabled] to reach out to seniors and persons with disabilities,” he added.
MP Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol GRC) and MP Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten SMC) spoke on concerns from delivery riders.
“In reality, platform riders operate under constant time pressure, driven by targets, bonuses, and performance-based incentives,” said MP Gho. “For many of them, the only path to a viable income is by hitting these targets. This creates a pressure-cooker environment in which riders are driven to move faster and faster.”
She recommended that platform companies be more accountable for the safety of their workers, noting that the platforms have the technology to flag unsafe behaviour.
On ERP 2.0, MP Edward Chia (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) asked about making the system informative for motorists.
“What ERP 2.0 data is already integrated today, and how it will be used in the medium and longer term to support smarter traffic management—such as adaptive signals, incident response, and bus operations—beyond pricing alone?” questioned MP Chia, who is also Deputy Chairperson for the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport.
“For example, we are experimenting with merging or using this [ERP 2.0] data to optimise the traffic light signal system, amongst other use cases that we are exploring,” said Acting Minister Siow.
“Members strongly support safety as the central objective of this Bill,” said MP Chia, at the end of the two-day debate.
“Safer paths, safer roads, and safer homes are not optional—they are essential.”
For more about what PAP MPs said on the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, click here.
