SIGN UP FOR BIG WALK, STAND TO WIN E-SCOOTER

He wanted to provide people with an affordable, convenient and fun mode of transportation.

“The waiting time for bus plus travelling time (from home to office) is around 35 minutes, but it only takes around seven minutes with an e-scooter,” said Mr Ifrey Lai, 46, who uses his e-scooter to travel from his home in Upper Paya Lebar to his office in the Ubi industrial area.

The owner of Mobot, which manufactures and sells mobility devices, said: “E-scooters have become popular because they are more flexible (than owning a car).

“With e-scooters, there is no need to pay for certificate of entitlement or road taxes. It is so expensive to own a car whereas an e-scooter is more affordable and (there is) only a one-time payment.”

Mr Lai added: “These devices are an investment. All that an owner needs to do is to monitor the maintenance of brakes and tyre pressure.

“E-scooters can last for at least three to five years without extra payment.”

Participants of this year’s The New Paper Courts Big Walk will stand a chance to win two e-scooters sponsored by Mobot.

Mr Lai said: “I am glad to see that The New Paper Big Walk has gathered so many health-focused happy walkers together for this successful community-bonding event.

“Mobot is honoured to be part of it and will continue to support this event in future.”

Personal mobility devices have also been in the spotlight due to the rise in the number of accidents involving e-scooters.

Mr Lai said he has been keeping up with these cases and attributes the blame for these accidents to irresponsible retailers.

“A majority of these accidents are caused by speeding,” he said.

Mr Lai said that some e-scooters sold by small and online retailers can go up to 80kmh, which is unsafe for riders.

But, he said: “All the e-scooters sold by Mobot have a speed limit of 25kmh, so these accidents will not happen to our customers.”

SAFE CHOICE

Mr Lai stressed that all personal mobility devices from Mobot have been issued a “safety” mark by Spring Singapore, an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Land Transport Authority (LTA) has released a code of conduct for cycling and use of personal mobility devices.

It stated that these devices should not exceed 15kmh on footpaths and 25kmh on cycling and shared paths.

Mr Lai said the safety of his customers is of utmost importance because he wants to uphold Mobot’s brand name and reputation.

Five Mobot window cleaning robots are also up for grabs as lucky draw prizes.

Mr Lai said: “The window cleaning robots help to save time and effort (for those using it).

“It can help with the safety for people who need to clean their windows in high rise buildings.”

In 2012, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) released a statement saying that employers of foreign workers cannot allow the workers to clean the exterior of windows unless there are strict safety conditions placed.

MOM took this measure after a spike in fatalities due to falls from heights that happened that year.

Mr Lai said that with the use of the window cleaning robots, users can clean their windows without having to put their safety at stake.

The window cleaning robots automatically creates a path along the area that needs to be cleaned and is suitable for different types of windows.