SINGAPORE – Selling a mobility scooter used to be as easy as selling a bicycle – buyers could pick out their device, pay for it and leave the store within 10 minutes.

But since new rules kicked in on June 1, sellers of mobility scooters and other personal mobility aids (PMAs) have had to deal with more paperwork and a heavier administrative burden.

This is because sellers now have to verify a buyer’s medical eligibility to use a PMA, then transfer ownership to them via the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s OneMotoring website.

MOBOT general manager Chew Boon Hur said his firm is hiring one extra person just to answer customers’ questions about the new rules and manage ownership transfers.

Buyers have five days to accept this transfer using the Singpass app, and MOBOT also sends reminders so they will not miss this deadline, Chew said.

MOBOT has increased the price of each device - which used to cost between $1,300 and $4,600 - by $100.This accounts for registration and inspection fees amounting to around $65, as well as logistics and manpower to prepare and transport them, Chew added.

PMAs include vehicles such as mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs. Under the new rules, the speed limit for PMAs on public paths is now 6kmh, down from 10kmh.

PMAs exceeding 120cm by 70cm by 150cm, or with a laden weight of more than 300kg, are banned from public paths unless an exemption has been given.

And all mobility scooter users aged under 70 need a certificate to show that they have legitimate medical needs.

Sellers also need to register mobility scooters before they can be displayed, advertised or sold. Registration appointments were made available from early May, and retailers cou...