A peaceful protest against the ban on e-scooters on footpaths was held at Hong Lim Park on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at about 5pm.

Organised by Facebook page All Singapore Stuff and a group of personal mobility device (PMD) riders, it was positioned as an event to bring out those who were not placated by the follow-up S$7 million grant measure by the Land Transport Authority to help these personnel switch to electric bicycles or bicycles.

"Peaceful" protest

Before the protest, clear rules were disseminated via an image circulating on Telegram chats, asking for riders to avoid littering and dressing in their food delivery uniforms, and to only smoke at designated smoking areas.

The event was scheduled to start at 5pm, but the field at Hong Lim Park was bare, and the stage empty, at the start time.

A brief shower had sent several participants scuttling for shelter at the entrance to Clarke Quay MRT station.

By around 6pm though, attendance swelled to its peak despite the slight persistent drizzle.

Roughly 70 members of the public, including media, turned up for the event, with only a few seen in their food delivery uniforms.

The rally was attended by People's Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng, who was a speaker at the event.

Goh was previously spotted questioning Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min at his Sengkang Meet-the-People Session on Nov. 13.

During Goh's speech, he said the government was obligated to carry out a cost-benefit analysis before implementing the ban and stated that the ban was "not justifiable".

He also described LTA's grant as the "grant of death", saying that PMD riders lacking both driving licenses and knowledge of the Highway Code, but who made the switch to e-bikes, would face danger from riding on the roads.

Goh came up with a list of suggestions, including asking PMD riders to limit their speed on pathways, especially in "Silver Zones" where there are many elderly residents, as well as for food delivery companies and LTA to carry out training courses for potential riders, with the possibility of imposing a demerit point system for errant PMD users.

Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian also took to the stage as a speaker.

According to Tan, Goh had invited him to speak at the protest.

Tan said he empathised with the plight of the PMD riders, and suggested widening current walkways to make way for a footpath for riders, by removing the grass verge.

Other recognisable attendees included activist Jolovan Wham, activist and freelance journalist Kirsten Han, and The Online Citizen editor, Terry Xu.

Non-PMD riders made an appearance as well.

One attendee was even seen with a handmade protest sign.

Some were not that interested in the long speeches, though.

During the question-and-answer segment at the end, the audience was invited to speak, or "let off some steam", as Goh invited the attendees to do so.

One PMD rider got particularly heated, and started raising his voice, during which the protest's organisers immediately switched off his microphone and crowded around him to calm him down.

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In a short comment towards the end, Goh claimed he was not "politicising the issue", but that the issue was "about rice bowls, and rice bowl is politics".

Two other attendees, a woman and an elderly man, also spoke to sporadic clapping and sullen cheers.

Some riders, clad in food delivery garb, sat at the back of Hong Lim Park, looking listless.

Two speakers scheduled to appear had apparently bailed out on the event organisers at the last minute.

The event was initially planned to last until 10pm but ended before 7:30pm, as the sky began to get dark.

The plan to light up the attendees' PMDs was also called off.

Background

On Nov. 4, 2019, it was announced that e-scooters will be banned from footpaths.

It resulted in a major uproar among food delivery riders, a group that heavily relied on PMDs to make a living.

In the following two weeks, scores of PMD riders appeared at several Meet-The-People sessions islandwide to voice their concerns, with the hope that the ban would be overturned.

In response to the backlash, LTA offered a S$7 million grant, providing riders the chance to swap their PMDs for electric bicycles or bicycles.

Applications for this scheme began on Nov. 16, with 20 per cent of GrabFood delivery riders opting to switch out their PMDs four hours after applications opened, according to a Grab press release.

Top photo from Julia Yeo and Ashley Tan