Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Number of Personal Mobility Device-related Fires Occurring in HDB Blocks in the Past Year

Question:

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for the past year, how many Personal Mobility Device (PMD)-related fires have occurred in HDB blocks; (b) whether there is an increasing trend on the occurrence of such fires since 2021; (c) how many of these cases are due to non-compliance of the UL2272 standards which is required; and (d) whether PMD owners will face penalties when the cause of the fire is due to non-compliance.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1.   In 2021, there were 18 Personal Mobility Device (PMD)-related fires in HDB blocks, all involving PMDs that were not compliant, or could not be determined to be compliant, with the UL2272 standards.

2.   From January to June 2022, there were five PMD-related fires in HDB blocks, down from 11 cases during the same period in 2021. Similar to 2021, all these fires involved PMDs that were non-compliant, or could not be determined to be compliant, with the UL2272 standards.

3.   When a PMD-related fire occurs, the inter-agency Active Mobility Fire Safety Taskforce co-chaired by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Land Transport Authority will jointly investigate the incident. Users will be taken to task if they are found to have used non-compliant PMDs. They can be liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding S$10,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both.