PMA Rider on Road Rear-Ends Car in Katong; Netizens Enraged by His Offences

Personal Mobility Device (PMD) riders and cyclists remain in fierce competition to see who gets more rabid vitriol online from motorists.

Among PMDs, Personal Mobility Aids (PMA) are the only ones that can be ridden on footpaths, being banned on roads.

One delivery rider apparently didn’t get the memo as shown in a Facebook post.

PMA Rider Rear-Ends Car on the Road

The SG Road Vigilante (SGRV) post dated the event to noon on 3 August, taking place on Mountbatten Road at the junction with Amber Road.

In the rear-facing camera’s view, Katong Shopping Centre can be seen, alongside a PMA delivery rider behind the filming car on the road.

The car accelerated and moved ahead, but a few metres down the road, braked for unseen reasons.

Unfortunately for the PMA rider, he appeared to be distracted by momentarily glancing behind him.

As such, he didn’t stop in time, rear-ending the car with a shocked expression worthy of an Internet meme.

The sudden stop caused his face to bounce right off the rear windshield and he subsequently toppled right off onto the road.

Managing to climb back onto his feet, he gestured with a “what the heck” hand motion, though he was probably using a harsher expletive in his mind.

SGRV also posted of the aftermath, showing the PMA with only some minor damage.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told Goody Feed that they were alerted to the road accident at about 12 pm, but their assistance was not required.

This presumably indicated that the driver was mostly fine after getting his head dribbled against the window.

Netizens Point Out Offences of Rider; 1 Defends Him

One enraged netizen listed out several offences committed by the PMA rider, including illegally riding on the public road, travelling “so fast”, and not wearing a helmet.

According to Land Transport Authority (LTA) laws, PMAs can only be ridden on footpaths and cycling paths, not on roads.

Since they’re just motorised wheelchairs, they’re also capped at a top speed of 10km/h.

It’s not exactly clear how fast the PMA delivery rider was going on the road, but many netizens saw it as too fast.

PMA riders are not required to wear a helmet, but that’s because they’re not supposed to be moving at high speeds on roads. E-bike riders, for example, must wear helmets when on the road.

Other netizens also vehemently disliked that the delivery rider, despite being able-bodied, was riding a mobility aid. One commenter even urged the car’s driver to file a Magistrate Complaint in court.

It is not currently illegal for an able-bodied person to ride a PMA, with a recent case even having five PMA riders dismounting and beating up a pedestrian.

At the very least, if he got into a serious accident, he wouldn’t need to change his vehicle.

Amidst the chorus of hatred, a single netizen decided to step up and play Devil’s Advocate.

He claimed, without evidence, that the PMA rider in the video was a fellow delivery rider, a hardworking man who toiled his job from morning to night and encouraged some sympathy.

When it was pointed out that the rider was on the road illegally, the defender argued that the footpaths in the area were too bumpy for PMAs, so most went on the road instead.

Netizens remained unconvinced and told the delivery riders to take a detour instead of breaking the law.