Ang Mo Kio family charges 4 PMAs in corridor, owner acknowledges fire risk
A family living at Block 214 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 has drawn attention for parking and charging four personal mobility aids (PMAs) in the shared corridor outside their flat.
Stomper Randy alerted Stomp to the issue, which was featured on Shin Min Daily News.
Neighbours said that the PMAs belong to a middle-aged couple and their teenage daughter.
"I don't understand why they need so many," the neighbour said.
"Often, each family member will ride one individually, which makes them look impressive."
Some residents claimed to have seen the mother and daughter riding the same vehicle, and that the PMAs had been parked outside the unit for several years.
When Shin Min visited the scene, three PMAs were seen covered with a cloth and parked neatly along the wall.
A neighbour claims there is another PMA inside the house, but no one was home at that time.
"There have been many reports of electric scooters catching fire while charging, and they have so many of them, so of course we are worried," the neighbour explained.
Ms Wu, 28, another resident in the same block, said: "I have seen them charging the PMAs in the corridor before, and I was worried about it being a fire hazard. Later, they also took it into the house to charge."
Others said the family occasionally uses extension cords from their home to charge their mobility devices in the corridor, generating worry among neighbours.
In response, the female homeowner explained: "My husband and I both have bad knees and it is difficult to move the vehicles into the house to charge. I had no choice but to bring the cord out to charge it."
The woman said that her 55-year-old husband underwent total knee replacement surgery in 2022, and she is scheduled for the same procedure in July.
The two also use mobility aids to do Grab delivery work on weekdays.
She stressed that she understands the fire risk posed, so she only charges the devices when someone is at home.
"Usually, I charge them when the battery is depleted, and it takes five to seven hours to charge each time. The electricity is also our own."
Though she is currently in Malaysia, she said she will park the PMAs at the void deck upon returning home.
"If anyone is still upset, there is nothing I can do," she expressed.
In response to a media query, the Ang Mo Kio Town Council said it had not received any complaints against the resident so far.
The spokesperson said that the town council team had visited the unit on June 16 and confirmed that the corridor outside the resident's door was unobstructed.
According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force, corridors must maintain an escape width of at least 1.2 metres.
There are no laws limiting the number of mobility devices each household can own, nor are there any prohibiting charging in corridors.
