SINGAPORE: Electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters could travel on roads and cycle lanes at up to 20mph under changes being considered by ministers.
The government is reviewing half-a-century-old legislation for mobility devices, which charities say is outdated and unfairly penalises people who need higher-specification models.
Charities have suggested increasing the speed limit to 20mph, up from 8mph, and raising the weight cap to about 300kg.
The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (Pacts), a charity, said improved mobility options were needed but legislators should recognise the risks.
Nathan Rollinson, who has motor neurone disease, said the 8mph limit had forced him to rely on imperfect public transport systems. He said he had been trapped in station lifts dozens of times while travelling to work.
He already has a 14mph wheelchair adaptation but said he cannot legally use it on roads without going through a complex process with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
“It would be great to drive to work with it in the summer,” he said. “It takes me 45 minutes to get there even though it’s only 3.8 miles, and longer if I get stuck in a lift.”
Rollinson, 35, said a higher limit could also avoid confusion after he was stopped by police who thought he was speeding on an 8mph mobility scooter.
“I heard sirens behind me and they told me to pull over. They said, ‘You’re going too fast’. It was the weirdest thing ever.”
Mobility device users are governed by laws dating back to the 1970s, which critics note still refer to them as “invalid carriages”.
Powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters can travel at 4mph on pavements, 8mph on roads and are largely banned from cycle lanes. In contrast, rental e-scooter trials permit users to legally travel at up to 15.5mph, including in cycle lanes.
There is also a 150kg weight limit, rising to 200kg including medical devices. Devices exceeding any of these restrictions are regulated as motor vehicles, posing problems for disabled people unable to get a driving licence.
The Wheelchair Alliance said weight restrictions left many disabled people in an “impossible legal position”.
Nick Wilson, an army veteran, uses a raised 220kg powerchair that puts him at eye level with his partner and others. However, its weight means it cannot legally be driven on pavements.
He said: “By the letter of the law, if I need to pop to the shops, I need to go on an A4 trunk road with 44-tonne HGVs behind me.”
Wilson, 49, who has a degenerative spinal condition, said: “Drivers just don’t understand that the law is telling you to drive on the road. You’re seen as a menace — you get sworn at. I’ve had people bump my wheels … it’s scary.”
Pacts is recommending a speed limit of 12.5mph for mobility devices and a weight limit of 300kg including medical devices.
Margaret Winchcomb, the deputy executive director of Pacts, said: “We absolutely recognise that having more options makes transport accessible to more people. However, we need to consider the harm they may cause themselves and others.”
The charity and several disabled people said any changes should be accompanied by safety measures such as helmets or protective bodywork for faster devices.
The London Cycling Campaign, along with Pacts, said most mobility devices would be “welcome in cycle lanes” but warned against mixing vehicles of vastly different weights.
UK retailers already sell scooters and wheelchair add-ons capable of higher speeds, accompanied by warnings they cannot be used at full capacity on British roads or pavements.
Industry figures said they would expect an influx of more powerful devices if regulations were relaxed, but some would still be reluctant to stock them because of safety concerns.
Simon Lightwood, a transport minister, confirmed that the government would consider changes to speed, weight and usage rules to “better reflect modern technology”.