Cycling on roads: 5 areas that ought to be reviewed

I refer to the letters from Mr Lawrence Seow (“A cyclist’s plea for drivers to slow down at road crossings”; Nov 27) and Mr Teo Kueh Liang (“Road safety: Clamp down on cyclists who flout the rules, too”; Dec 1).

In recent years, there appear to be more cyclists riding on roads. 

While the Government is keen to push for a car-lite Singapore, it owes a duty to motorists and cyclists to ensure that the roads remain safe for both sets of users. 

I would like to suggest a review of the following five areas: 

1. Cyclists are prohibited from cycling only on expressways and road tunnels. This means that cyclists are allowed to cycle on roads such as Nicoll Highway, West Coast Highway, Keppel Viaduct and Bartley Viaduct. Along these roads, vehicles can move fairly quickly, with limits of up to 70kmh. Allowing cyclists on such highways and viaducts runs counter to the very reason these roads were built and is highly dangerous. Cyclists should be permitted only on roads with a speed limit of up to 50kmh. Instead of riding on Nicoll Highway, for instance, cyclists could use Beach Road or the park connectors along Marina Bay.

2. Roads are used mainly for people to get from A to B, rather than for leisure. Hence, it is puzzling that the rules allow cyclists to ride two abreast, which could hold up traffic on one lane and result in motorists having to filter to the next lane to overtake the cyclists. I will be interested to understand the rationale of this rule. 

3. Some codes of conduct are unclear. For example, telling cyclists to ride through pedestrian crossings at “walking speed” is vague and appears half-hearted.

4. Even with codes of conduct, however inadequate or limited they may be, the penalties for breaking the rules are also unclear. For example, what are the penalties for not cycling at “walking speed” at crossings?

5. There is no need for cyclists to pass tests before they start riding on the roads. I understand the need to avoid over-regulation, but surely the authorities must at least be interested to get cyclists up to speed with the rules before they hit the roads. Regulations are only as good as the effectiveness of enforcement. Without the need for registration, enforcement will be challenging. Also, without the need for cyclists to undergo tests, there is no way to find out if they understand the regulations before they hit the roads.

Against the backdrop of the Government’s push for a car-lite Singapore, it appears that we do not have an adequate regulatory framework that includes effective enforcement.

This has caused plenty of angst among motorists and cyclists. It is high time that this is reviewed thoroughly.

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