Green Wheelers pre-Climate Conference Ride, 29 Nov 2009

From the GreenWheelers site:

" We hope to encourage more Singaporeans to consider utilizing traveling alternatives that are environmentally-friendly - why should we remain ignorant of OUR Planet’s plea for help and continue polluting the environment with greenhouse gasses with our cars when there are greener alternatives?

Considering the size of Singapore, it should not be a challenge to adopt such alternatives - people in larger nations are now willing to adopt these green traveling habits despite having to travel over long distances.

What is Singapore waiting for?

Perhaps it's the weather, perhaps it's the worry of theft, or perhaps it's just about the hassle of bringing a change of clothes.

In conjunction with the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, G.Wheelers will be organising a public activity on 29 November 2009, a week ahead of the meeting in Denmark.

Come join us the Xtreme SkatePark at East Coast Park at 2 p.m. on Sunday, 29 November 2009, where we will share our cycling and urban skating tips. We want to encourage minimising the usage of motorised vehicles. Be part of this meaningful event!

Link to facebook page.

Go G.Wheelers!

OCBC Cycling in Singapore 2010

Traffic policing for bicycle safety ON THE ROADS (video)

This video includes fantastic advice for traffic police on enforcing road rules in ways that promote cyclists' safety.

It targets both driver and cyclist behaviour.

Traffic Enforcement for Bicyclist Safety from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo.

Unfortunately our road rules in Singapore lack many of the bicycle-friendly features that are present in Chicago.

Despite all the obvious differences, this video would be a great model for Singapore's authorities to think about if they wanted to push for safer on-road cycling here in Singapore.

Mass Cycling event for Green Transport Week

As part of Green Transport Week, a Mass Cycling event will see cyclists ride down from ECP and WCP to SMU on Sat 22 Aug 2009.



Find out more at: www.greentransportweek.sg

Beware of bike theft?

The figures for "theft and related crimes" in 2009, in comparison to the same period for 2008, reflect a ?mere 2.5% increase [see SPF figures]. However, Today's reporter has chosen to highlight bicycles in his article.

BIcycle theft has long been known to Singapore cyclists with Kembangan receiving special mention in this blog and a a reference to a 2005 initiative to combat bicycle theft. So it's been going on for along time and as a result, cyclists like me never take my eyes off my bicycle, nor will I lock keep it outside my house in a car park.

This report, in deciding to highlight the issue once again, should help to keep us on guard!

"Lock up your bikes - theft is on the rise," by Leong Wee Keat. Today Online, 07 Aug 2009.

ONE cyclist removed his mountain-bike's saddle and seat-post. Another cyclist covered his bicycle with a piece of cloth. Both locked their prize rides outside their homes. And both had them stolen in the first six months of this year.

The number of thefts rose slightly in the first half, a fact the police attribute to the economic downturn. There were 10,280 cases, or 246 more than in the same period last year. The increase in petty thefts notably involved items such as bikes, handphones, accessories and toiletries being stolen for personal use or to be sold off for cash. Bicycles, for instance, were often nicked from common areas such as void decks, corridors and at MRT stations.

In fact, on online forums, it is common to see users posting photos of their missing rides and appealing for information. Some have claimed their stolen bicycles, or at least their parts, surfaced at second-hand bazaars.

How to deter bicycle thieves? The police advise, for instance, locking the bike to a fixed permanent structure such as an anchored rack, and not resting the locking device on the ground thieves could use a hammer to smash it.

One crime-fighting initiative, rolled out by the Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Centre, imprints a registration number on the bicycle's body using a tamper-proof tape. This has helped officers to determine ownership, deter theft and return the stolen property to its rightful owner.

But such petty thefts aside - and contrary to fears that the overall crime rate would rise along with desperation levels during a recession - the overall crime rate in the first six months actually fell by 1.3 per cent. Though the number of housebreaking incidences rose, the figure is still the second lowest recorded in 15 years for first-half statistics.

...

Survey on bicycle lanes for Singapore

Via http://abetterride.wordpress.com/ a survey by a Singaporean student at LSE:

If you live or have lived in Singapore, it’d be great if you could do the survey. Whether you cycle or not, I’d like to hear from you. Got 15 mins to spare? Click here.

More numbers on safety in numbers

On 6 June I wrote about the safety-in-numbers effect.

There are some more numbers corroborating the effect from London, Copenhagen and the Netherlands. See this post on the "How we drive" blog.

Unsafe ignorance versus dangerous ignorance

A survey by the AXA insurance company paints a picture of ignorance and recklessness among Singapore motorists.

The finding that struck me most was that only 23% knew the speed limit that applies on most ordinary streets and roads (the ones that don't have speed signs). Do you know the answer? ** Most thought that the answer was 60 km/hr.

This was reported today by the Business Times and the Today newspaper (here and here). AXA surveyed over 500 Singapore motorists, including around 100 taxi drivers.

Large percentages also admitted to various dangerous acts, such as:

• Driving more than 10kmh above the speed limit (63 per cent)
• Tailgating (47 per cent)
• Overtaking, turning or switching lanes without signalling (46 per cent)

So few Singapore motorists have the high moral ground to attack bicycle users for their bad behaviour. Yet we do see many forum letters about bad behaviour by bicycle users in Singapore (like this one yesterday). Many online comments on these letters tend to demonize cyclists.

Of course, many cyclists ARE woefully ignorant of even the basics of safe cycling. But think ... What is the main result of unsafe cycling?

Answer: injured or dead cyclists are the main result. Cyclists are the main victims of their own ignorance or recklessness.

I don't want to deny that inconsiderate or negligent cycling can pose some hazard to others, especially to pedestrians. But we need a sense of proportion about the danger from bicycles. It is tiny compared with the danger from motor vehicles. Yes, bad behaviour by cyclists is a problem. But it is a problem primarily for the cyclists themselves.

Let us admit that BOTH motorists and bicycle users in Singapore have a frightening lack of awareness about road safety and road rules.

But while ignorant cyclists make themselves unsafe, ignorant drivers make the roads dangerous for everyone.


** Answer: 50 km/h is the speed limit on ordinary streets and roads without explicit speed markings. Did you get it right? If motorists stuck to this speed cycling would be much safer here.