A retailer will be charged in relation to fire incidents involving non-compliant active mobility devices (AMDs). Mr Prince Bryan Tan, Sales & Marketing Manager of Drive Bikes Singapore, will be charged in court on 23 January 2025 for selling a non-compliant Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) and causing a PAB to be modified, rendering it non-compliant for use under the Active Mobility Act 2017 and Road Traffic Act 1961, respectively.
2. On 27 January 2024, Mr Prince Bryan Tan sold an incompatible battery for use on a PAB to a customer. The battery subsequently caught fire while the customer was riding along Hougang Avenue 5 on 27 April 2024. For first time offenders, the offence of causing a power-assisted bicycle to be illegally modified under Section 5(6) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 carries a fine of up to $20,000 or imprisonment for up to 24 months or both if the offender is an individual, or a fine up to $40,000 for persons other than individuals.
3. On a separate occasion on 21 February 2024, Mr Prince Bryan Tan sold a PAB fitted with a battery that voided its EN15194 certification, to a customer. The PAB subsequently caught fire at the customer’s residence along Bukit Batok Street 32 on 25 April 2024. The offence of selling a non-compliant PAB for first-time offenders under Section 34(1) of the Active Mobility Act 2017 carries a fine up to $20,000 or imprisonment for up to 24 months or both for an individual, or fine up to $40,000 for persons other than individuals.
Regulatory and Enforcement Efforts
4. To ensure public path and fire safety, LTA has regulatory requirements for motorised devices. These include mandatory compliance with UL2272 standards (for motorised PMDs) and EN15194 standards (for PABs). These standards require the devices to pass a series of tests including the safety of their electrical systems. Only devices meeting these standards are allowed to be imported and used in Singapore. To stem the inflow of non-compliant devices, LTA works closely with Singapore Customs and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority to identify and enforce against offenders who import PABs and motorised PMDs without approval.
5. Regular enforcement is also carried out against errant users and retailers. More than 400 non-compliant AMDs were seized in the first half of 2024. During the same period, around 10 offences of selling non-compliant devices were found from operations against retailers. LTA takes a serious view of such offences. Those found committing an offence of using non-compliant AMDs under Section 19(1) or (2) Active Mobility Act 2017 may also be fined up to $10,000 or face imprisonment for up to 6 months or both. A repeat offender may be fined up to $20,000 or face imprisonment for up to 12 months or both.
6. Non-compliant AMDs pose severe fire risks, which have led to six fatalities since 2019. Members of the public are advised to only purchase from reputable sources, and check for defects and modifications when purchasing second-hand devices online. The Active Mobility Fire Safety Taskforce will press on with efforts to raise public awareness of the dangers of using non-compliant AMDs, tips on safe usage of AMDs, as well as how to dispose AMDs properly. The public can find out more, including safe charging practices, via the Be Device-Safe information pack at https://go.gov.sg/bedevicesafe and fire safety tips on https://go.gov.sg/pmdpabfiresafetytips.
7. Everyone has a role to play in keeping our homes and neighbourhoods safe from fires. We urge device owners to do their part and ensure that they only use compliant devices for their own safety as well as that of their families and the community. Residents who detect devices that could pose fire risks can report it to their respective Town Councils, Management Corporations, or to the SCDF via the myResponder app (available for iOS and Android).
