SINGAPORE: Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, intends to meet various stakeholders to discuss how roads can be made safer.
In his Facebook posting on Tuesday, Dr Faishal said he was saddened by the death of Mr Freddy Khoo.
Mr Khoo was cycling along Loyang Avenue with two friends over the weekend when a lorry crashed into them. He was severely injured and died in hospital.
Dr Faishal will also discuss with fellow MPs who are passionate about cycling.
One of them is Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Teo Ser Luck, who said more can be done to ensure safety of cyclists on the road. Mr Teo added it's time to take a fresh look on past measures that were proposed but rejected.
Francis Chu is the co-founder of a local cycling group LoveCyclingSg.
Mr Chu rediscovered cycling as a form of commuting eight years ago. The 52-year-old sold his car and his bicycle has been his main mode of transport since then.
He's part of the cycling community who's been urging the government to consider having a dedicated cycling lane on some roads.
They suggest that these dedicated cycling lanes could be located along the more popular cycling routes such as Neo Tiew Road.
Such lanes need only be about 1.5m wide.
Mr Chu said: "There isn't any physical construction we need to make, we just need to re-paint the lanes. In a way, all the lanes need to be re-painted from time to time because they wear off. If it's a cost issue, why not we just implement it when the lanes need to be re-painted, then we re-paint on a new position."
Motorists have mixed views about dedicated cycling lanes.
One said: "It depends on which road and how big the road is. So as long as they don't get too close to the motorists then it's still okay."
Another said: "Not viable. There're already traffic jams and then you have to cater one more lane for cycling. I think in congested area it's not feasible."
Cycling groups have also identified roads which could pose a hazard for cyclists.
They include Lentor Avenue and Upper Jurong Road which have heavy traffic.
Balestier Road is one of the danger spots highlighted by cycling groups because of the busy traffic where a left lane is sometimes occupied by vehicles parked illegally.
Motorists and cycling enthusiasts agree that all road users should be mindful of safety and be considerate.
-CNA/ac/ck
SINGAPORE - Despite a steady decline in recent years in the number of accidents involving cyclists, policymakers have pledged to do more to improve the safety of cyclists on the roads following the death of bank employee Freddy Khoo, 48, over the weekend.
Mr Khoo was cycling along Loyang Avenue with two friends last Saturday when a lorry collided with them. He died from his injuries in hospital.
On his Facebook page, Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Transport Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said he would be consulting various stakeholders "in the coming months".
"There have also been other fatal accidents in the past, and a death is always one too many. I believe our roads can be made safer," he added.
Responding to TODAY's queries, the Traffic Police said that there were 182 accidents involving cyclists in the first six months of this year.
During that period, 190 cyclists and pillion riders died or were injured in accidents. Between 2009 and last year, the numbers on both counts have fallen steadily, according to statistics provided by the Traffic Police.
Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal said he will build on the various cycling initiatives, especially those put in place by former Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Transport) Teo Ser Luck. Said Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal: "Where we can make improvements or if there are feasible ideas which can be tried out, we should certainly be prepared to have an open mind."
Writing on his Facebook page, Mr Teo, who is now Minister of State for Trade and Industry, urged a "fresh look on the past measures that were proposed but rejected".
In the wake of Mr Khoo's death, two impassioned open letters were addressed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew to improve the safety of cyclists on the roads. Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng also called for "urgent action to crack down on dangerous driving while improving the training of motorists to look out for cyclists".
Safe Cycling Taskforce President Steven Lim told TODAY that the problem lies with the mindset of road users here. "A lot of seasoned riders have ridden in Malaysia and will tell you it's safer to ride in Malaysia," he said, "You can't say it's the infrastructure in Malaysia that makes the difference as its comparable to what we have here."
"When I was told that I will be appointed Parl Sec in MOT, Minister Lui had asked me to help him to take charge of a few areas under land transport. For a start, these would include local connectivity issues such as covered linkways to public transport nodes, requests for lifts at Pedestrian Overhead Bridges, road safety issues, and cycling issues. I am already being briefed on some of these issues.
Specifically on cycling, and on the related issue of road safety, I am saddened by Mr Freddy Khoo’s death. There have also been other fatal accidents in the past, and a death is always one too many. I believe our roads can be made safer, and this calls for both motorists and cyclists to observe traffic rules and drive/cycle in a safe and considerate manner. I intend to meet the various stakeholders, including interest groups from cyclists, motorists and even pedestrians - who have also expressed some concerns about their safety with more cyclist-pedestrian interactions. I will also discuss and seek inputs from my fellow MPs who are passionate about cycling.
I will be making these consultations in the coming months. I will also build on the various cycling initiatives which have been done in the past, especially under Mr Teo Ser Luck’s leadership when he was Senior Parl Sec in MOT, who had done much to promote cycling as a mode of transport. Certainly, where we can make improvements or if there are feasible ideas which can be tried out, we should certainly be prepared to have an open mind and either implement or start with some pilots."
Cyclists, drivers and pedestrians are to be asked for their views on road safety in a public consultation announced on Tuesday.
The move comes after a 48-year-old bank worker died on Saturday when a lorry hit his bicycle, in a case that prompted calls for better anti-accident measures.
Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim told The Straits Times that the consultation could lead to pilot projects, but stopped short of calling it a policy review.
He added that Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew had told him to take a fresh look at the issues of road safety and cycling, which were both priorities.
"We want to ensure that all views are considered," he said.
"We want to have an open mind and see how we can implement some of the findings."
There are likely to be several consultation sessions, each of which may last over an hour and be attended by representatives from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). No dates have been set.
Mr Teo Ser Luck, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and an avid cyclist, alluded to the consultation on Tuesday in a Facebook post asking for measures rejected in the past to be relooked. "It takes all stakeholders to work together to make a difference," he wrote.
limjess@sph.com.sg
The latest fatal accident involving a cyclist has spurred the cycling community to come together to lobby for safer roads for cyclists.
Two impassioned open letters were addressed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in the wake of the death of Mr Freddy Khoo over the weekend.
At least one Member of Parliament (MP), Ms Irene Ng, also wrote about the issue on Facebook yesterday afternoon.
Mr Khoo, 48, a bank employee, was cycling along Loyang Avenue with two friends at about 6.50am last Saturday morning when a lorry collided with them.
He was severely injured, and later died in Changi General Hospital. His companions escaped with abrasions, reports said.
Ms Ng, an MP for Tampines GRC, told my paper yesterday afternoon that the recent incident left her "outraged and frustrated".
Ms Ng said that since she became an MP in 2001, she has been lobbying for a coordinated national effort to promote safety on the roads for cyclists, and to improve infrastructure and regulatory framework for cycling.
"But because it is an issue that cuts across several ministries and requires coordinated action, it seems to fall between the cracks, with no real progress," she said.
Still, she said on Facebook that she was heartened that her calls for greater safety have received support. "In earlier years, I sometimes felt like a lone voice in the wilderness, often criticised by those who didn't believe that cyclists have a place on our roads," she added.
Meanwhile, the cycling community has rallied together in the wake of the tragedy.
One of the letters, written by Facebook user Adriane Lee to PM Lee, has received more than 45 endorsements so far.
The writer, who signed off as a 36-year-old marketing executive, called for both motorists and cyclists to be educated on their rights and behaviour on the roads.
Citing Mr Lee's call for an "inclusive society" in the recent National Day Message, the letter said all road users - motorists or otherwise - should co-exist peacefully.
The other letter, written by Mr Stephen Choy, a friend of Mr Khoo's, has been shared over 1,800 times on Facebook since it was posted last Saturday.
According to data from the Department of Statistics, there was a total of 11 cyclist deaths from January to May, up from seven in the same period last year.
Just last Thursday, a 65-year-old cyclist died in a collision with a car in Jurong East.
Mr Than Chen Munn, a committee member of the Safe Cycling Task Force, said the number of cyclist fatalities is high, and that more needs to be done to study the causes of the accidents to prevent further deaths.
"It shouldn't just be a statistic... Right now, what's the recourse? It's just voices. Every time a sport cyclist dies, everyone makes a lot of noise, but it dies down after a week. What's next?" asked Mr Than, 37.
"There are people out there trying to advocate things but, if the authorities don't do anything, what else can they do?"
Mr Khoo is survived by his wife, Ms Tiffany Koh, who is about five months pregnant, and a six-year-old son, reports said.
By Stephen Choy, 2012-08-19
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Dear Minister Lui
My friend is dead.
If, only if, I had written this letter earlier, Freddy might still be able to cycle with me in the next Ironman race.
You see, he died pursuing his hobby. On the morning of 18 August 2012, along Loyang Valley, as he made his way towards Changi Village, he was run over by a truck. I chanced upon the wreckage, not knowing that it was that of my friend’s. I immediately posted a message on FaceBook to remind all my friends to cycle safe. Within minutes, I received the tragic news that that statistic was a friend of mine. He was my buddy in our cycling group, Team Cychos.
Freddy was a good, gentle man. A good husband and a doting father to his 5 year old son. And would have been an equally good father to his unborn child too, I’m sure.
Dear Minister Lui, I am appealing to you as many before me did. I am certain you are aware of the statistics. From 2008 to 2011, there were a total of 70 cyclists killed. That is a horrifying average of 1.46 cyclists killed a month. Sadly, that is not enough to spur your ministry into action to make the roads safer for cyclists.
We are not saying that motorists are completely at fault. We recognize both cyclists and motorists have a part to play in making our roads safer for all. Cyclists must be made aware of how vulnerable they are the moment they mount their bike. Motorists must be educated that, like pedestrians, cyclists too have a right to use the roads. Only when these two groups recognized this and develop a mutual respect will we see a drop in fatalities. Hopefully.
This, however, cannot be done without the Government’s assistance. In a recent article on the dangers of cycling in Singapore, an LTA spokesperson, upon being asked about introducing a cycling lane, declared that this will only give cyclists a false sense of security. A false sense of security??? Isn’t that akin to saying we should not have window grilles at home as they would give our Foreign Domestic Workers a false sense of security when cleaning windows in highrise apartments. I was flabbergasted by this flippant and dismissive response. Isn’t that the purpose of a cycling lane? To remind cyclists to stay within the allotted 1.5m and for motorists to be aware of cyclists within this lane so that we all can be safe. So that we all can go home to our loved ones. So that we all can continue to pursue our passions. Safely.
To the spokesperson from LTA, I say shame on you. Shame on you for taking the easy way out. If NParks is able to build 300km of park connectors (by 2015), surely the LTA is capable of painting a 1.5m lane on our roads. This is merely the width of 2 carton boxes. Are cyclists not worth that. If having cycling lanes islandwide prove too daunting a task, then perhaps we can start small, start a pilot project to paint only the more popular (and dangerous) cycling routes - Neo Tew Avenue, Mandai Road, Changi Coastal Road, Upper Thompson Road, West Coast Highway. I am sure the Singapore Cycling Federation, Singapore Amateur Cycling Association, Singapore Sports Council and perhaps even cycling clubs, especially the bigger ones like Joyriders and Anzac can advise LTA on this.
From 2010 to January 2012, there were 21 work-related height fatalities of Foreign Domestic Workers. This monthly average of 0.58 was enough for the Ministry of Manpower to implement a new rule forbidding FDW to clean the outside of windows. The ministry also felt the need to double the penalties (from the current $5,000 fine and/or six months' jail to $10,000 fine and/or 12 months' jail) to serve as added deterrence to employers.
Minister Lui, if 21 FDW were enough to get a new legislation in place, surely Freddy and the deaths of 70 other cyclists deserve an urgent re-look at how to make our roads safer. I appeal to you not to let more people die before the rest of us are able to pursue our hobby safely.
"Cyclist's friend writes to minister: My friend is dead," by Koh Hui Theng. The New Paper, 22 Aug 2012.
SINGAPORE - Shaken by his friend's death, Mr Stephen Choy wrote an open letter to Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew on Saturday.
"My friend is dead," he said.
"If only I had written this letter earlier, Freddy might still be able to cycle with me in the next Ironman race.
"You see, he died pursuing his hobby."
On Saturday morning, bank employee Freddy Khoo, 48, was cycling with two friends along Loyang Avenue when a lorry collided with them.
A police spokesman said Mr Khoo was the last among the trio to be hit. His buddies suffered abrasions and did not require hospitalisation.
But Mr Khoo had severe injuries and was sent to Changi General Hospital, where he later died.
He leaves behind his pregnant wife Tiffany and a six-year-old son.
An avid triathlete, MrKhoo had taken part in several half-Ironman races. He is a member of different cycling groups including Team Cychos.
On weekends, he would usually start cycling around 6.30am or 7am, Mr Choy, his friend and fellow Team Cychos member, told The New Paper.Crushed
Mr Choy, who works in advertising, had passed the accident spot that very morning - he had been in a car heading to Changi Village for breakfast.
"I whipped out my iPad when I saw the wreckage and posted a message on (social network) Facebook to remind all my friends to cycle safe. Within minutes, I received the tragic news, Fred was down," he added.
"The wreckage was that of my friend's."
Speaking to TNP before he attended the wake last night, Mr Choy, 47, recalled: "Looking at the wreckage, at how small the bike had been crushed to... for it to be crushed to that condition, I knew he had been run over.
"Fred did not stand a chance. I heard he was hit from the back."
That was why Mr Choy was moved to pen the letter, which he also sent to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and to his MPs in East Coast GRC.
In it, he implored the authorities to do something to make the roads safer.
"From 2008 to 2011, there were a total of 70 cyclists killed. That is a horrifying average of 1.46 cyclists killed a month," he wrote in his letter.
"Sadly, that is not enough to spur your ministry into action to make the roads safer for cyclists." While both cyclists and motorists have a part to play in making the roads safer, Mr Choy said that government assistance was also needed to help reduce fatalities.
He cited the debate about introducing cycling lanes and quoted a Land Transport Authority spokesman as saying this would give cyclists a false sense of security. (It was Mr Lui who said this in reply to a question in Parliament in March.)
"I was flabbergasted by this flippant and dismissive response... If NParks is able to build 300km of park connectors, surely the LTA is capable of painting a 1.5m lane on our roads...
"Are cyclists not worth that?" he asked. "Surely Freddy and the deaths of 70 other cyclists deserve an urgent re-look at how to make our roads safer."
Mr Choy suggested a pilot scheme to paint only the more popular (and dangerous) cycling routes - Neo Tew Avenue, Mandai Road, Changi Coastal Road, Upper Thompson Road, West Coast Highway.
But he admitted that he does not think anything will come of his action.
"I'm not the first to write this... Hopefully, enough people will circulate it and it'll be enough for them (the authorities) to act."
When TNP visited Mr Khoo's wake, his wife declined to speak to the media. Dressed in white, she cried as she spoke to those who came to pay their respects.
Several men wearing white sat silently at the back of the void deck, staring into space.
A bespectacled man seemed surprised when told about Mr Choy's open letter.
He said: "The authorities should do something about this and improve road safety."
Upon hearing the conversation, another man walked up to talk about the lorry driver, who has been arrested and is helping the police in their investigations.
Mr Choy, who has known Mr Khoo since 2009, usually cycles in the Changi-Loyang area at 5am. He said Mr Khoo preferred to start later, at around 7am.
But that was when traffic would get heavier in the area, with "a lot of trucks zooming towards the cargo complex".
Adding that Mr Khoo had been training for a triathlon, Mr Choy said: "I've raced with Fred twice in Aviva events. It's sad that I won't get the chance to do so any more."
A cyclist was killed yesterday morning after a collision with a lorry on Loyang Avenue.
Mr Freddy Khoo (left), 48, suffered severe injuries and was taken to Changi General Hospital, where he died later, the police said.
The police received a call at 6.55am about a traffic accident on Loyang Avenue in the direction of Changi Village. The lorry collided into three cyclists, a police spokesman said.
The lorry driver, 30, has been arrested and is assisting police with investigations, she added.
The other two cyclists are believed to have suffered minor injuries in the accident.
Friends described Mr Khoo as an avid triathlete, and someone who was always smiling. He is survived by his wife, who is about five months pregnant, and a son.
Mr Mave Goh, 34, a manager at bicycle shop Soon Watt & Co, has known Mr Khoo for about five years.
Mr Khoo was a customer at Soon Watt, and used to cycle with Mr Goh as part of cycling group Team Cychos.
"Freddy was very into fitness, very disciplined with training and overall a very nice chap," Mr Goh said. He said he heard Mr Khoo was with a group of about four or five cyclists who were not from Team Cychos when the accident happened.
A triathlete who knew Mr Khoo wrote a eulogy on Tumblr, saying: "The greatest impression I have of Freddy is of his smile. Whenever we met, he would always have that infectious, genuine and bright smile of his.
"Never fails to ask me how I was, how my training was going, what race I was targeting next. He was an inspiration to us with his 'can do' attitude."
The accident on Loyang Avenue - a popular route for riders - is the latest in a spate of fatal accidents involving cyclists.
Last Thursday, a 65-year-old cyclist was killed in an accident with a car in Jurong East.
In May, a 25-year-old cyclist died after he was knocked down by a lorry on Changi Coast Road.
The latest accident has triggered further calls for the authorities to make roads safer for cyclists, and dole out harsher penalties to deter would-be errant drivers.
The founders of local cycling group LoveCyclingSg have submitted a plea to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to look into the issue of cycling safety.
Mr Goh of Soon Watt said drivers still lack awareness of sharing the road with cyclists.
He added: "The authorities need to look at drivers' behaviour as a whole, not just towards cyclists. What are they doing about it?"
Mr Steven Lim, president of the Safe Cycling Task Force, advised cyclists to be vigilant, to always stay alert on the road and be aware of what is happening around them.
See also, "An Open Letter to the Minister of Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew" by Stephen Choy, 19 Aug 2012.
"Lorry driver jailed for causing cyclist's death along Loyang Avenue," by Elena Chong. The Straits Times, 25 Feb 2013.
Former lorry driver Wang Weiguan, who negligently caused the death of a cyclist along Loyang Avenue, was jailed for four weeks on Monday. He was also banned from driving for five years. -- ST PHOTO: EDWARD TEO
A Chinese national, who negligently caused the death of a cyclist along Loyang Avenue, was jailed for four weeks on Monday. Former lorry driver Wang Weiguan, 31, was also banned from driving for five years.
He had admitted to causing the death of Mr Freddy Khoo Boon Hai, 48, a bank employee, at about 6.50am on Aug 18 last year. Wang failed to keep a proper lookout ahead while travelling straight along the left lane of the road, resulting in the lorry hitting Mr Khoo's bicycle, and causing his death.
Mr Khoo, an avid triathlete, was cycling behind two other friends in a single file at a distance of about 1.5m between each bicycle when he was hit. Wang had failed to notice Mr Khoo's and in his friends and in his panic, he tried to swerve to the right but could not avoid colliding with Mr Khoo.
The other two cyclists - Mr Eugene Low Ju-Sen, 37, and Mr Kevin Quek Weng Yew, 26 - were flung off their bicycles.
As Wang changed to the right lane and stopped his vehicle, he could feel the deceased's bicycle being dragged along the ground underneath the lorry. He could also feel the lorry "running over something''. The vehicle finally came to a stop after moving a distance of at least 28m.
Mr Khoo suffered severe injuries and was pronounced dead about 11/2 hours later.
A second charge of causing hurt to the two cyclists by doing an act so negligently as to endanger life was considered during his sentencing.
