*Platinum Member*
Centennial Member
Posts: 100017
Liked By: 61179
Joined: 30 Jun 10
Followers:
3
Tipsters Championship:
Player
has not started
|
PUBLISHED ON MARCH 05, 2024 5:42 PM ByKHOO YI-HANG Some consider them a menace on the roads - but the use of Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) are also how some make ends meet. For 51-year-old delivery rider Hu, her mobility scooter isn't just how she earns a living. It's also how she goes about her life, whether getting groceries or just going around her neighbourhood. But it seems change is on the horizon for Hu - during the debates in Parliament on Tuesday (March 5), Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng shared multiple changes to regulations for PMAs that will come into effect around 2025. This includes a reduction in speed limit from 10kmh to 6kmh, an update in dimension restrictions and a stipulation that only those with medical needs can use PMAs. Speaking with AsiaOne, Hu shared that she has become quite reliant on her PMA after purchasing it two years ago. She had been working as a cleaning supervisor until she accidentally breathed in acidic chemicals at work, leaving her hospitalised. Since then, her asthma would occasionally flare up, causing breathing difficulties. Although Hu previously did her food delivery job on a tricycle, she soon found that too taxing on her health due to her injuries, so she forked out about $1,500 to buy a PMA. On average, she estimated that she's able to make about two deliveries in just over an hour - but now, she's looking at a possible 50 per cent cut in her earnings with the speed limit changes announced during the Ministry of Transport's (MOT) Committee of Supply debate today. "We follow the rules and regulations, but some people don't," Hu said, adding that those who speed are able to complete more orders than her. There will be 'trade-offs': Chee Hong Tat Speaking on the changes to PMA regulation, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said: "There are trade-offs involved and we expect pushback from some PMA users. "But we must be clear that between ensuring safety for residents and providing convenience for PMA users, safety must come first."
|