Pedestrian refuses to keep left, then blames PMD users for his catch-22 situation instead.
Obviously, since PMD, pedestrians are both allowed on foot paths, understandably, direction of travel rules must apply. All users need to keep to the leftmost side. A pedestrian traveling on his right will obviously be in head on collision conflict with a PMD/ even pedestrian approaching from his opposite direction. It is no surprise that if the PMD or oncoming pedestrian cannot pass due to on coming pedestrian/ pedestrian obeying direction rules keeps to the left lane and will thus automatically honk at the pedestrian or PMD on the wrong side of the pathway.
The person on the wrong side must thus feel embarrassed and stop and apologize rather than suddenly change lanes without checking behind because that might cause him to be in the direct pathway of another pedestrian or PMD travelling according to guidelines along the left side of the path and cause an accident in the process. The pedestrian setup the ingredients for an accident by travelling on the wrong side to begin with.
The problem thus lies NOT with PMD or pedestrians passing in opposite directions but with pathway users who refuse to adhere to the keep left rule and opt to make dangerous, unaware, unpredictable, unchecked and ill considered sudden lane shifts instead.
Same as in the road, 99.9% of drivers will honk at another vehicle driving against the legislated road direction of travel of the traffic flow.
If Mr Brennen Pak is already towards the left of the path, then he has to stand his ground and force any oncoming pedestrian or PMD to give way rather than change lane abruptly and obviously get hit from behind. Besides obeying travel direction rules, all pathway users have to uphold these rules too. Otherwise there is bound to be miscommunication if the rules are so easily bypassed and then people will get seriously hurt when such miscommunication occurs. This is especially important on PCN network where PMD speed limit is 25kph so more so the need to keep left at all times.
**** It's my personal experience that usually PMD users do keep left and it's the pedestrians who always break this rule because they are on their handphone or think the whole pathway belongs to themselves. PMD users never fool around with me because they know that if they are on the wrong side, then they are definitely at fault (just like driving against direction of traffic, traffic offence etc).
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Allow only one direction for PMDs on walkways
Women riding e-scooters on the pavement.
Women riding e-scooters on the pavement.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
PUBLISHED: 2 July 2019
Nowadays, pedestrians no longer feel safe on pedestrian paths due to personal mobility device (PMD) users moving in both directions on already narrow paths.
Very often, PMD users have to pass each other, causing pedestrians to have to dodge onto the grass patches next to the pedestrian paths.
An oncoming PMD user may also move into the path of a pedestrian to avoid another PMD user approaching from the opposite direction.
The pedestrian's natural instinct is to avoid the oncoming PMD, but in doing so, he may step into the path of the other PMD closing in from behind.
Unlike vehicles, we do not have rear-view mirrors to see what is approaching from behind us.
I have been in this situation at least twice in the past few months, putting me inches away from a terrible accident.
So I ask that PMD users be allowed to travel in only one direction, the same as that of traffic. This is something that has been practised by Dutch cyclists for years.
This would also help to protect people at bus stops, which is an issue that others have raised (PMD use: People at bus stops need protection, by Mr Ong Yao Min, June 21; and Make PMD users dismount near bus stops, by Mr Shaik Kadir, June 25).
People at bus stops would be able to see approaching PMDs since they would be coming from the same direction as the buses, and not have to worry about what is behind them when they step forward to flag a bus.
Brennen Pak Hoe Peng
https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/allow-only-one-direction-for-pmds-on-walkways
Obviously, since PMD, pedestrians are both allowed on foot paths, understandably, direction of travel rules must apply. All users need to keep to the leftmost side. A pedestrian traveling on his right will obviously be in head on collision conflict with a PMD/ even pedestrian approaching from his opposite direction. It is no surprise that if the PMD or oncoming pedestrian cannot pass due to on coming pedestrian/ pedestrian obeying direction rules keeps to the left lane and will thus automatically honk at the pedestrian or PMD on the wrong side of the pathway.
The person on the wrong side must thus feel embarrassed and stop and apologize rather than suddenly change lanes without checking behind because that might cause him to be in the direct pathway of another pedestrian or PMD travelling according to guidelines along the left side of the path and cause an accident in the process. The pedestrian setup the ingredients for an accident by travelling on the wrong side to begin with.
The problem thus lies NOT with PMD or pedestrians passing in opposite directions but with pathway users who refuse to adhere to the keep left rule and opt to make dangerous, unaware, unpredictable, unchecked and ill considered sudden lane shifts instead.
Same as in the road, 99.9% of drivers will honk at another vehicle driving against the legislated road direction of travel of the traffic flow.
If Mr Brennen Pak is already towards the left of the path, then he has to stand his ground and force any oncoming pedestrian or PMD to give way rather than change lane abruptly and obviously get hit from behind. Besides obeying travel direction rules, all pathway users have to uphold these rules too. Otherwise there is bound to be miscommunication if the rules are so easily bypassed and then people will get seriously hurt when such miscommunication occurs. This is especially important on PCN network where PMD speed limit is 25kph so more so the need to keep left at all times.
**** It's my personal experience that usually PMD users do keep left and it's the pedestrians who always break this rule because they are on their handphone or think the whole pathway belongs to themselves. PMD users never fool around with me because they know that if they are on the wrong side, then they are definitely at fault (just like driving against direction of traffic, traffic offence etc).
==============
Allow only one direction for PMDs on walkways
Women riding e-scooters on the pavement.
Women riding e-scooters on the pavement.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
PUBLISHED: 2 July 2019
Nowadays, pedestrians no longer feel safe on pedestrian paths due to personal mobility device (PMD) users moving in both directions on already narrow paths.
Very often, PMD users have to pass each other, causing pedestrians to have to dodge onto the grass patches next to the pedestrian paths.
An oncoming PMD user may also move into the path of a pedestrian to avoid another PMD user approaching from the opposite direction.
The pedestrian's natural instinct is to avoid the oncoming PMD, but in doing so, he may step into the path of the other PMD closing in from behind.
Unlike vehicles, we do not have rear-view mirrors to see what is approaching from behind us.
I have been in this situation at least twice in the past few months, putting me inches away from a terrible accident.
So I ask that PMD users be allowed to travel in only one direction, the same as that of traffic. This is something that has been practised by Dutch cyclists for years.
This would also help to protect people at bus stops, which is an issue that others have raised (PMD use: People at bus stops need protection, by Mr Ong Yao Min, June 21; and Make PMD users dismount near bus stops, by Mr Shaik Kadir, June 25).
People at bus stops would be able to see approaching PMDs since they would be coming from the same direction as the buses, and not have to worry about what is behind them when they step forward to flag a bus.
Brennen Pak Hoe Peng
https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/allow-only-one-direction-for-pmds-on-walkways
