[Update: 12 May 2021]
Mandatory online theory tests for e-scooter and electric bicycle riders will start from June 30, and will cost S$5 for two attempts.
The rate will be applicable until September 30, after which it will be raised to S$10 for each attempt. This is to encourage more riders to take the test sooner.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor shared during a debate on proposed changes to the Road Traffic Act that the test will be conducted in the four official languages.
Special provisions can be made on a case-by-case basis for those who are less digitally savvy or literate to take the test in other formats like an oral test, she added.
Once riders pass the test, they will be issued with a digital certificate, which will be valid for life. Dr Khor assured that the authorities will have the means to verify whether a certificate has been unlawfully manipulated.
Under the new laws, it is an offence to ride e-bikes, or power-assisted bicycles (PABs) on roads without passing the theory test.
It will also be an offence for companies and individuals to employ, or intentionally or negligently allow, a person to ride a PAB on roads if he or she has not passed the theory test.
For both offences, first-time offenders can be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. Repeat offenders can be find up to $5,000, jailed for up to a year, or both.
Dr Khor said the Land Transport Authority will work with NTUC, food delivery companies and interest groups to raise awareness and ensure riders are certified before they ride.
She also assured that there will be a sufficient transition period for riders to complete the test before enforcement kicks in. More details will be provided in June.
[Update: 30 April 2021]
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced today (April 30) that mandatory theory tests for electric scooter and electric bicycle riders will start from June 30.
The handbooks for both theory tests have been published online here and here, and will be published in other languages subsequently.
They cover three modules for both groups of riders: active mobility devices, pre-journey and equipment checks, as well as the rules and codes of conduct for using the devices.
According to LTA, the theory test comprises multiple choice questions and will be available online.
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Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng announced today (March 5) that e-scooter and electric bicycle riders will soon have to take “mandatory theory tests”.
He reasoned that these tests will help ensure all riders of such motorised devices are aware of the existing rules and codes of conduct.
While no exact date was given, he specified that the tests will start from the middle of this year. He added that a test handbook will be released next month.
This announcement comes a year after the government first accepted recommendations on e-scooter usage from the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP).
The panel had previously proposed that e-scooter riders should be at least aged 16 and pass a theory test first before they are allowed to ride in public.
Those below the age of 16 however, requires adult supervision if they wish to ride.
Additionally, Mr Baey announced that all bicycles used on public paths and roads will also be required to have at least one functioning handbrake, with effect from September 2021.
Following a fatal accident involving a brakeless bicycle last year, the AMP had proposed this recommendation, which the government accepted earlier in January.
So far, the accidents involving motorised personal devices (PMDs) on footpaths have decreased by almost 80 per cent between 2019 and 2020.
There were 30 such accidents in 2020, compared with 144 in the previous year.
Moving forward, the authorities will be stepping up education efforts. A new campaign will be rolled out in May to raise awareness on how paths can be shared in a safe and gracious manner.
There are also plans to refresh the Safe Riding Programme, which was started in 2018, in the second quarter of this year to make it more interactive.
Featured Image Credit: Klook
