Cyclist engagement better than imposing speed limits

While studying in Boston the past year, I stayed a 25-minute-walk away from school. While I initially chose to walk, I eventually got a bicycle.

I was encouraged that many people — young, old, students and professors — rode to their point of destination. Many had good cycling habits: Riding within the bike lanes, signalling when they had to turn, and mandatorily wore helmets and installed lights. I believe that the reason for this was a mixture of cultivated habits and good policymaking, which should be adopted by cyclists and the Government in Singapore, respectively.

As a cyclist abroad and in Singapore, I doubt that the Government’s plans to look into imposing speed limits in park connectors will eventually benefit the Government or cyclists (“Authorities to look into speed limits for cyclists”, Jan 30).

Let us first examine the circumstances behind a recent accident between a cyclist and a pedestrian. A three-year-old boy was hurt when he was knocked down by a cyclist who allegedly did not have brakes on his bike and could not take off his pedal clips. The Government’s proposal to impose speed limits would make sense if the root cause was the high speed the bike was travelling at. However, lack of knowledge in using bike pedal clips and a badly designed bike (or a malfunctioning bike) seem more likely to have caused the cyclist to inadvertently swerve into the three-year-old.

To implement a speed limit in park connectors, the Government will have to take many steps that yield little returns. It needs to set up speed-limit signs, place speed trackers at high-activity or accident-prone areas and set up a task force to check on cyclists. Cyclists will then have to monitor their speeds by investing in a speedometer. Would the Government provide all cyclists with such a tool?

It may be more productive to place action signs such as “Share the road”, “Beware of turning bicycles” or “Sharp bend ahead” along park connectors to encourage more careful cycling.

If the Government were to impose a speed-limit proposal for cyclists, it would also imply that the Government prioritises pedestrians over cyclists. The park connectors were created so that all Singaporeans — whether those who enjoy walking, jogging or cycling — can enjoy the country’s greenery while engaging in recreational activities. The creation of a speed limit may create a perception that cyclists are not as important and dissuade them from using the parks that the Government had designed for the enjoyment of all Singaporeans alike.

Instead of considering speed limits, the Government should first consider the root cause of the accident. The problem it is trying to solve — errant cycling — cannot be resolved through a speed limit. The Government should continue to engage with the community of cyclists, joggers and pedestrians to create a better experience for park-connector users. After all, everyone has an equal right to enjoy the park connectors.