The sudden ban on the footpath for PMD - has affected about 7,000 PMD delivery jobs overnight - and has now become a hot button issue - with many congregating to see their MPs.
To mitigate the effect of the PMD delivery job - due to the footpath ban, can consider the following proposed solutions to this group of PMD users :-
(1) Food and eCommerce delivery by foot
- Notice that all Army soldiers have to undertake a 20 km to 32 km route march - carrying 20 kg full pack. Guardsmen, Commandos and Frogmen - go longer route.
- Thus suggest that some fitter PMD delivery men and women can fullpack their foods or eCommerce goods on their full pack to operate within 5 km to 10 km radius - these group can still keep their delivery jobs without the PMDs.
- I have tried walking about 10 km with a "full pack" - and notice this can be done without too much of a problem --- and at the same time can keep fit and healthy - a good exercise.
- If this option is chosen --- many PMD delivery job can be kept.
(2) Convert PMD food and eCommerce delivery - into bicycles and motorbikes.
- Bicycles can still go on the footpath and will not endanger the pedestrians. It can also go on the road. Thus food or eCommerce delivery will not be affected.
- Thus the Government together with Service Providers like GrabDelivery, Foodpanda, Deliveroo etc - can work with bike sharing companies to lease bicycles to this group of people to use bicycles for food and eCommerce deliveries.
- But those who have embark on paying instalment for PMDs - the job with bicycles can still bring income to help them pay off the instalment - with some compensation by the Gov and Service Providers?
- For those with motorbikes licence and motorbikes - can consider using motorbikes to do delivery.
(3) Interim measures of "dividing the footpath" into pedestrian path and PMD path
- Can consider drawing a middle line on existing footpath - left side for pedestrian and right side for PMD.
- This interim measure is used until the PMD path for the whole Country is ready.
(4) Someone suggest allowing PMD to be allow on the road instead of the footpath.
- I personally is not in favor of this - as PMD on the roads pose serious danger to the PMD users - as we can see from previous accidents when many PMD users die or sustain serious injuries from the road accidents.
Conclude : - If the above 3 measures are used --- most if not all PMD delivery jobs can still keep their jobs.
$7 million grant to help food delivery riders switch e-scooters to other devices: MOT
SINGAPORE — A new $7 million grant was announced on Friday (8 November) to help food delivery riders switch their e-scooters to other modes of transport, three days after a ban of the devices on footpaths took effect.
The e-scooter Trade-in Grant (eTG) is part of three components of a Transition Assistance Package unveiled by the Ministry of Transport (MOT).
Each rider will get a grant of up to $1,000 for a power-assisted bicycle or $600 for a bicycle with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) matching dollar-for-dollar the food delivery companies’ funding support for their riders.
Delivery riders with mobility difficulties who are eligible to use personal mobility aids and want to continue working for their companies will also get a grant of up to $1,000.
To qualify for the grant, the riders must be food delivery riders using e-scooters as at Thursday (7 November).
The riders have to surrender their e-scooters at disposal points located at Grab, Deliveroo and foodpanda’s premises. Those who work for more than one food delivery company are eligible for just one grant disbursement.
The grant scheme will take effect until 31 December.
MOT said that while the majority of the food delivery riders use motorcycles and bicycles, about 7,000 of them used e-scooters. “They have approached MOT, LTA, and their Members of Parliament to express their concerns,” MOT added.
In announcing the ban on Monday, Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min said, “This ban of e-scooters from footpaths is a difficult decision. But it is a necessary step for pedestrians to feel safe again on public paths, while still allowing e-scooters to grow in tandem with cycling path infrastructure.”
Under the second component of the help package, for riders who plan to consider other job options, NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and Workforce Singapore are working with the food delivery companies to provide job search support for the riders.
Lastly, for riders who may have financial difficulties, they can tap on schemes from the Ministry of Social and Family Development and ComCare.
MOT said, “Even as the delivery riders switch to other modes of transport, they should be mindful of safety both for themselves and other path and road users. They should strictly abide by the safety rules, including speed limits, so as not to cause unnecessary injury.”
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