SINGAPORE – From June 1, mobility scooter users will be required to hold a Certificate of Medical Need, though several groups - including seniors aged 70 and above - will be exempt.

The measure aims to curb misuse of such devices by those without genuine mobility issues, said Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng. Eligible users can begin their medical assessments from Feb 27.

The Land Transport and Related Matters Bill also proposes other rules governing personal mobility aids (PMAs) - mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs - which will take effect on June 1, 2026 as well.

These include requiring new mobility scooters sold from that date to be registered and reducing the speed limit of PMAs on public paths from 10kmh to 6kmh.

As the population ages and more people turn to PMAs, there is a growing need to ensure they are used safely and responsibly, Mr Baey said. He flagged the “concerning trend” of able-bodied individuals misusing mobility scooters.

He noted that the certification requirement applies only to mobility scooters; wheelchair users are not required to obtain a certificate.

To minimise inconvenience for those with clear needs, these groups of users will be exempted: seniors aged 70 and older, beneficiaries of the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund and Assistive Technology Fund, and applicants under the Health Ministry’s disability schemes who have been assessed to have mobility needs.

The exemptions will apply automatically and require no action from users.

From Feb 27, users can complete the required Assessment for Mobility Scooter with their regular doctor, general practitioner or occupational therapist.

Those assessed with medical conditions that cause mobility difficulties will be certified as having a medical need to use a mobility scooter, Mr Baey said.

The assessment will focus on three areas: whether an individual has a medical need to use a mobility scooter; whether that need is temporary or long-term; and whether the individual requires a device that exceeds the prescribed dimension limits.

A list of clinics offering the assessment will be published on LTA’s website from Feb 4. Based on an LTA survey, more than 140 clinics intend to offer the assessment, Mr Baey said.

Fees are expected to range from $20 to $150, with a median of $50.

“Given that a budget mobility scooter costs around $1,000 and mid-range models can cost up to $2,000, the assessment fee is relatively modest compared with the price of the device,” he said.

Users caught riding a mobility scooter on public paths without a Certificate of Medical Need will face fines of up to $2,000, jail terms of up to six months, or both.

Enforcement will begin on June 1. While LTA officers may check any user for medical proof, they will focus on those who appear able-bodied and may be misusing mobility scooters, Mr Baey said.

“Our intention is not to inconvenience genuine users. However, some mobility challenges are not visible, and I seek users’ understanding that our enforcement officers will need to do their job and check for their certification at times,” he said.

He added that it will also be an offence for businesses to employ or allow an individual to ride a mobility scooter on public paths for work without ensuring the rider has a valid certificate.

Under the proposed laws, retailers can only advertise, display and sell registered mobility scooters from June 1, 2026.

LTA’s vendor will verify approved models before registering them under retailers. Before selling a mobility scooter, retailers have to check the OneMotoring website to ensure the buyer has a Certificate of Medical Need or is exempted from having one.

LTA said that as mobility scooters will be treated as medical devices, importers and sellers must hold a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) medical device dealer licence.

Each model must be listed on the HSA Class A Medical Device Database, and only listed models can be registered for sale.

Owners of existing scooters can begin registering their devices from mid-2027 at roving community stations, where devices and user eligibility will be checked on-site, Mr Baey said.

Full enforcement begins on Jan 1, 2029, when using an unregistered mobility scooter on public paths becomes an offence.

On the reduced speed limit for PMAs, Mr Baey said offenders face fines of up to $2,000, jail of up to six months, or both, with higher penalties for repeat offences.

To ease the transition, existing PMAs with device speed limits of up to 10kmh can be used until Dec 31, 2028, provided they are ridden within the 6kmh limit and comply with other rules. From Jan 1, 2029, all mobility vehicles must have a device speed limit of 6kmh or below.

Oversized PMAs - defined as devices exceeding 120cm by 70cm by 150cm or weighing more than 300kg when laden - will be banned from public paths. This will address the problem of large PMAs that inconvenience and endanger other path users, Mr Baey said.

The Bill also tightens fire safety rules, in the wake of fires involving personal mobility devices (PMD) in recent years.

From June 1, 2026, it will become an offence to own or keep PMDs - like motorised e-scooters - that are not certified to the UL2272 fire safety standard.

Although fires related to e-scooters or power-assisted bicycles have fallen from a peak of 115 cases in 2019, there were 49 fires involving such devices in 2025.

PMDs accounted for 31 of the fires, and the bulk of them involved non-certified devices, Mr Baey said.

From June 1, those who fail to dispose of non-UL2272 certified e-scooters will can be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to three months, or both, while businesses can be fined up to $4,000.

The LTA urged owners to dispose of non-compliant e-scooters through approved e-waste recyclers or quarterly collection drives organised by ALBA E-waste and town councils.

A total of 19 MPs spoke during the debate on Feb 3.

Some raised concerns over grey areas in requiring users to obtain a Certificate of Medical Need, and asked if exceptions could be made.

Mr Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang GRC) said the rule is well-intentioned but that real cases are rarely clear-cut, citing residents with medical complications who rely on mobility devices but may not qualify.

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) raised similar concerns for delivery riders who lack formal diagnoses but struggle with long-distance cycling or walking due to pain or fatigue, and asked if occupational factors could be considered.

WP MP He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) cautioned against perpetuating stigma related to PMA use and over-enforcement. She asked if enforcement officers would identify potential rule-breakers based on “a casual visual perception of able-bodiedness”, rather than acting based on a clear rationale.

Certified PMA users should not be subject to constant interruptions or compliance checks, she added.

On lowering the PMA speed limit, WP MP Dennis Tan (Hougang) and Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol GRC) flagged how the move would impact seniors and delivery riders. Mr Tan said it would lengthen seniors’ travel time, while Ms Yeo said longer delivery times would reduce riders’ earnings.

Several MPs said delivery platforms must do more on PMA safety, with Ms Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten) describing them as the “elephant in the room”.

She noted that platform riders operate under constant time pressures driven by targets, bonuses and performance-based incentives.

For many such workers, the only path to a viable income is by hitting targets in a “pressure-cooker environment”, in which riders have to move faster and faster, she added.

Public safety cannot be the Government’s concern alone, and it is time to hold platform companies more accountable for the safety of their workers and the communities they serve, she said.

Mr Foo Cexiang (Tanjong Pagar GRC) said he hoped that the requirement for platforms to ensure their workers on PMAs have a valid certificate would not lead to operators deciding to deprioritise this group.

He called for a digital link between LTA’s registry and platform operators to enable automatic verification of certification.