Piloting Installation of Fire-rated Outdoor Charging Cabinets within Communal Facilities for PMDs

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for National Development given the rising incidence of Personal Mobility Device battery fires in residential settings, whether the Government will consider piloting fire-rated outdoor charging cabinets in HDB void decks or multi-storey carparks, similar to facilities deployed in New York City and Taiwan, with subsidised electricity rates to incentivise residents to charge devices in these safer communal facilities.

Agencies, such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA), Singapore Civil Defence Force and Housing and Development Board (HDB), work closely to monitor Active Mobility Device (AMD) ownership, charging and usage patterns in Singapore. We also study new operating models and regulatory developments on AMD charging and parking in other jurisdictions.

As different jurisdictions have different contexts and circumstances, we should carefully assess if the overseas practices are applicable here in Singapore. Taking the example of AMD charging facilities in public areas, there will be trade-offs for residents, such as having less space for other uses in HDB multi-storey car parks and void decks.

The key factor to improving safety is to prevent AMD-related fires in the first place, instead of where the device is charged. It is more effective to ensure AMDs in Singapore meet prescribed technical and safety requirements. If the devices are non-compliant, shifting the charging and parking to public areas would still lead to fire incidents that pose safety risks to residents.

AMD users should only purchase compliant devices, refrain from modifying their devices and adopt safe-charging practices. This is the main safeguard against fire risks from AMDs. The Ministry of Transport and LTA thus take a strict enforcement approach towards the import, sale and use of non-compliant AMDs and are looking to strengthen regulations on the online sale of AMDs later this year.