I have two PMDs and they are a joy to ride and have saved me a ton of money.
I intend to upgrade to a Dualtron Thunder after Xmas this year in order to get better range as I am currently restricted to 70km max. The Dualtron has a range of 110km which will be perfect for an inter-city commute.
The ban in Singapore is definitely temporary as it is only a matter of time before the authorities realise that the rest of the world is moving ahead while Singapore is stuck in the past.
Cars and cities were never a good mix to begin with and as more and more cities ban cars from the streets the PMD will become the de facto mode of transport.
The problem is you can't have fast moving things sharing the same pathways as people on foot. Collisions. Just common sense.
This is why you dont see marathons being organized on footpaths. Collisions.
PMDs need their own pathways.
We have seen that people have started using PMDs on roads. Collisions. But this time PMD users die.
People on PMDs collide with pedestrians - pedestrians die and PMD user also gets hurt.
There is a reason why people need a licence to drive a car. It can be a weapon.
I have never understood why people don't need a licence to ride a bicycle or a PMD. They should. Unless you are using it for very recreational purposes in very secluded places.
As a doctor I have seen 2 patients (one a roller blader the other a cyclist) who collided. The inline skater had intracranial hemorhhage and pelvic fractures and femure fractures. The cyclist has spine injuries.
Man is NOT made to go faster than their legs can carry.