Better regulation of E-Bike usage on our roads

With the rising trend of using e-bikes as a means of transportation in Singapore, the number of accidents involving e-bikes has also correspondingly increased. Just last week, a 62-year-old e-bike user was hit by a car near Bedok North Avenue 3, resulting in his serious head injuries and his e-bike to break into two pieces.

​ Unlike other bicycle-friendly countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, there are no designated bicycle lanes on Singapore roads. Instead, the government proposes these vehicles to be used on footpaths, shared paths and on the extreme left edge of roads. With no designated pathway for these vehicles to travel on, the risk of accidents between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are substantial. ​

In response to the increased usage of power-assisted bicycles and personal mobility devices, the Land Transport Authority has recently launched the PAB Registration Policy. Under this policy, all power assisted bicycles (“PABs”) have to be registered online from 14 August 2017 onwards in order to be used on Singapore roads. Once a PAB has been issued, a PAB number plate must also be permanently affixed to the rear of the PAB. Offenders under this policy are subject to a fine and/or a jail term. The implementation of such a measure would not only act as a means of identification for victims when a PAB causes an accident, but also serves as a tool to closely monitor the behaviors of reckless cyclists on the road.

• For more information about the PAB Policy, click here.
• For more information about the government’s recommendations for cyclists, click here.
• To read about the e-bike accident in Bedok on 19 October 2017, click here.

23 October 2017