ACSI Prelim 2020

Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2020 YEAR FOUR (EXPRESS) HUMANITIES Paper 1 Social Studies (2272/01, 2273/01, 2274/01) Monday 27 July 2020 1 h 45 min INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Section A is COMPULSORY. You must answer all parts of Question 1. Answer BOTH parts of Question 2 from Section B. Write your answer on the writing paper provided. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. This question paper consists of 7 printed pages including the cover page. [Turn over

2 SECTION A (Source-Based Case Study) Question 1 is compulsory for all candidates. 1 Exploring Citizenship and Governance Study the Background Information and the sources carefully and answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questio ns, you should use your knowledge of the issue to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. (a) Study Source A. Do you think the cartoonist supported the ban on PMDs? Explain your answer, using details of the cartoon. [5] (b) Study Sources B and C. How similar are the sources? Explain your answer. [7] (c) Study Source D. Why was the source published? Explain your answer. [6] (d) Study Sources E and F. Which of these two sources is more useful as evidence that the ban on PMDs is justified? Explain your answer. [7] (e) ‘Singaporeans welcomed the ban on the PMDs.’ Using all the sources in this case study, explain how far you would agree with this statement. [10]

3 How has banning the PMDs affected Singapore? BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Singapore Government imposed a ban on the Personal Mobility Device (PMD) on all footpaths on 5 November 2019. From April 2020, mandatory inspection of registered e-scooters commenced, and the ban on all motorised PMDs on f ootpath took effect. The move followed a spate of injuries and fatal accidents involving PMDs, as well as fires in public housing blocks caused by faulty e -scooter batteries. Prior to this, PMDs such as e -scooters, e-bikes and other eco -mobility vehicles have largely been popular either for short commutes or as first-and-last-mile modes to complement longer trips on public transport. The Active Mobility Unit (AMU), set up by the Land Transport Authority in 2015, had a lso introduced a slew of soft measures w hich included clear rules and codes of conduct relating to the use of footpaths, cycling paths and shared paths. Though the government states the biggest reason for putting the ban in place is public safety, many Singaporeans have been divided on the ban - some welcome the move while some launched a petition asking the authorities to allow PMD riders to continue using public footpaths. Study the sources below carefully to examine the impact of banning PMDs in Singapore. Source A: A local cartoonist’s view about the PMDs, published in November 2019.

4 Source B: A comment by Walter Theseira, a transport economist and associate professor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, published in an online newspaper, 4 November 2019. He is also a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP). Walter Theseira said the Lion City’s move was “reasonable” a s enforcement and education efforts had not worked. He said there was a small group of “reckless, hard core riders” who we re resistant to the government efforts and that they had turned public opinion against all PMD users. “[The government] has to make a decision because the public fear is too significant and there is a valid point there because pedestrians have a right to be free from fear.” He also warned the ban’s effectiveness might prove limited, if it prompted PMD riders to switch to other modes of t ransport such as bicycles, power -assisted bicycles or motorcycles. “There is a concern, then, that we may simply be transferring the problem from PMDs to bicycles,” he said. “We have to ensure that we don’t take our eye off education and enforcement efforts.” Source C: The viewpoints of retailers published in an online newspaper, 5 November 2019. “We are extremely disappointed with this new rule that has taken us by surprise,” said Mr Koh, a member of the Government’s Active Mobility Advisory Panel which was set up in July 2015 to deliberate on the rules and regulations that govern the active mobility landscape, which includes cycling and the use of PMDs. “A lot of people and businesses are affected. Even the future economy is affected.” Following the news, Mr. Koh said that he received calls from PMD retailers who were outraged. The announcement also sparked at least three online petitions calling for a reversal of the ban. “Whatever requirements that the authorities had been coming up with, we have been trying our best to comply, even in coming up with initiatives to make things better…But by restricting e-scooters to only bicycle paths, shared paths, there is very limited connectivity,” said Mr. Wilson Seng, president of the PMD Retailers Association of Singapore. Source D: From an article published in an online newspaper, 23 December 2019. From 1 January 2020, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will take a zero -tolerance approach against errant e-scooter riders caught on footpaths who do not abide by the law. But one rider will continue to defy the ban despite being aware of the penalties if he gets ca ught. Mr. Ariffin, a full -time food delivery rider of three years feels he has little choice because he has three young mouths to feed. [Though] the government and three major food delivery companies have put up a $7 million grant for users like Mr. Ariffin to trade in e-scooters for other devices, he said the scheme is of little help to him. "The grant works as a reimbursement. But I don't have another $2,000 to buy another device right now and changing jobs is also not an option,” he said. "Thi s job gives flexibility in case I need to go home to help with the kids," he added.

5 Source E: From an article published in an online newspaper, 13 Nov 2019, a day after a dialogue between Dr. Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Health and Transport, and the food delivery E-scooter riders. As food delivery riders continue to lobby MPs [Members of Parliament] to review the ban on riding PMDs on footpaths, Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr. Lam Pin Min reiterated that the government is taking the im pact on their livelihoods very seriously…and the $7 million assistance scheme announced last Friday is one way [the government] is helping PMD riders switch to an alternative vehicle to continue working. Also, in the hall was opposition politician Goh Meng Seng, the secretary - general of the People's Power Party. He said in a Facebook post that he told Dr. Lam the $7 million grant to help delivery riders switch to e-bikes put their lives at higher risk of getting hit by cars on the road. Source F: A comment by a Singaporean on Millennials of SG*, 9 November 2019. The issue is that both pedestrians and riders had been taking safety for granted. Should we have been more careful on these shared paths, having PMDs around really shouldn’t be that big of a probl em. Many PMD users did not even regard the speed limit with importance. It was found that some PMD riders often were “travelling at more than twice the speed limit.” It [also] doesn’t help that pedestrians are often glued to their phones since we unconscio usly assume that our footpaths are a safe space for us. Most of all, we simply do