Fact: Personal mobility aids (PMAs) are still legal to be used on footpaths in Singapore.

Second fact: PMAs are not subjected to the same rules as personal mobility devices (PMDs).

Third fact: PMAs are usually used by the elderly and those with difficulty walking.

Taking all these facts in, swirling them around, and spitting them out: This explains why a listing on Carousell by a company in Singapore is offering to turn PMDs into PMAs -- by adding a third wheel and capping the speed limit to 10kmh.

The cost?

S$449.

The listing on Carousell appeared on Nov. 9, 2019 -- four days after the ban on e-scooters from footpaths kicked in.

Looks like a PMD, but rides like a PMA:

But more importantly, it can ride on footpaths.

And one's existing PMD will not be turned into a white elephant left sitting at home in the store room.

To entice potential PMD users to make the modification, the company, a.star.global, wrote: "Don't let your beloved PMD become scrap metal or rubbish to be disposed of."

Current rules?

To be entirely clear, these are the Land Transport Authority rules:

PMAs can be used anywhere, except on the road.

There is also no maximum unladen weight and no maximum device width.

They have to have three or more wheels and not be faster than 10kmh.

Is modifying PMDs to PMAs legal?

Such a modification is rather unprecedented and is a clear reaction to the footpath ban for e-scooters.

The question is whether able-bodied PMD users can accept being seen riding a PMA or PMA-like device, or basically seen as exploiting a small loophole in the existing rules.

Maybe the authorities can come out to clarify in time to come -- like they have so far (here and here).