Dangerous for novice and young cyclists to share roads with motorists

In the letter, "Why do motorists still show disdain for cyclists? Here are 4 safety suggestions" (Dec 27), the writer has raised two or three rather commendable points on cyclist safety.

However, there was one point that did not sit well with me at all.

The writer had suggested that cyclists be banned from footpaths and instead be kept on the roads.

May I then say that this is dangerous for novice cyclists because they lack the necessary experience of sharing the road with fast-moving vehicles.

They might panic, for instance, when bigger trucks and buses cross their lanes and risk harming themselves and others with a sudden, involuntary swerve into the lanes of other motorists.

Moreover, if young children are cycling, are they to use the roads, too?

Having read with dismay one too many accidents happening between cyclists and motorists on the roads, I hesitate to add my vote of confidence to the letter writer’s ill-thought suggestion, even if the other points are commendable.

For the longest time and before personal mobility devices were in use, cyclists have shared paths and pavements with pedestrians.

Also, in countries such as the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, where cycling on pavements is banned, there is an existing network of dedicated cycling lanes and etiquette in place that make this ban possible.

Might I add that Singapore's small land area does not permit the same dedicated cycling lanes except in a few places. Therefore, to build such a network here is not quite feasible.

If we have been able to accommodate one another all this time, surely we can continue to do it at little expense for the well-being of both cyclists and pedestrians.

If each of us exercises a little care, concern and tender love for other people, I don't see why our roads cannot be safer.