A PMD is not a PAB or PMA, according to LTA -- and why it matters
Singaporeans love our abbreviations, but one commonly used one may not mean the same thing to different people.
To most, PMD means "personal mobility device", a broad term that is often — and loosely — used to describe e-bikes or power-assisted bicycles (PABs) and personal mobility aids (PMAs).
For example, on Dec 28, two teenagers riding what looked like a PAB were hit by a car in Yishun. It was widely reported that they were on a PMD.
The problem is that this is not how the law defines a PMD.
According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), PMDs include kick-scooters, electric scooters, hoverboards, unicycles and motorised luggage – but not PABs, which fall under a separate category.
PMAs are motorised and non-motorised wheelchairs as well as mobility scooters, which are designed to carry individuals who are unable to walk or have walking difficulties.
Why do these distinctions matter?
Because the LTA has different rules for each category, as can be seen in the LTA infographic below.
The rules for PABs differ from those for PMDs, which are further differentiated by motorised and non-motorised devices.
In the case of the accident involving the two teens, if they were actually on a PMD, they would not have been allowed on the road. A PAB, however, is permitted on roads.
So if PMD cannot be used as a catch-all term for these varied devices, what can we call them?
The Government uses the term "active mobility device" or AMD.
The problem, of course, is that almost nobody else does.
We will probably continue saying PMD when we mean PAB or PMA, but it helps to be aware of the distinctions under the law.
