Strict Ban on E-Scooters and Hoverboards on Sidewalks: Japan, France, and Singapore Enforce Heavy Penalties

As emerging micromobility technologies surge in popularity, serious traffic accidents involving electric scooters and self-balancing hoverboards have multiplied globally. Following legislative bans across France and Japan, the Government of Singapore implemented a comprehensive ban prohibiting e-scooters from all public sidewalks, with penalties reaching up to a S$2,000 fine or three months imprisonment.

Driven by eco-friendly commuting trends, urban residents increasingly adopted motorized personal mobility devices (PMDs) for daily commutes and recreation. However, as collisions mounted, regulatory authorities moved decisively to reclaim pedestrian spaces.

Under Singapore’s Land Transport Authority guidelines, e-scooters are strictly barred from footpaths. Enforcement included a brief advisory grace period through year-end, after which violators face strict criminal citations.

The crackdown follows a sharp spike in catastrophic pedestrian collisions, culminating in a tragic incident where an elderly cyclist succumbed to fatal injuries after being struck by a speeding e-scooter rider.

While industry advocates argued that collision responsibility rests on individual rider behavior rather than blanket prohibitions, pedestrian safety groups countered that motorized vehicles traveling at 20 to 25 km/h pose lethal risks to children and elderly pedestrians. Shifting the burden onto vague notions of “rider courtesy” ignores baseline kinematic physics.

As Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min stated: “Banning e-scooters from footpaths was a difficult decision, but it is a necessary step to safeguard pedestrian lives.”