Response to Jude Alphonso Tan's death: Ride of Silence

"Cycling enthusiasts ride in honour of 'cyclist brother'," by David Sun. The New Paper, 31 May 2012. The ride ended at the spot where the accident occurred along Changi Coast Road.

"They may not have known him in person.

But a group of cycling enthusiasts got together to ride in honour of their "cyclist brother", who died after being knocked down by a lorry on Saturday.

"Though most of us do not know Jude, he is one of us, our cyclist brother," said Miss Quek Huey Ming, a cyclist who helped facilitate the ride on Monday.

"The cycling community in Singapore has come together to do a ride in his honour."

Mr Jude Alphonsus Tan, 25, had been knocked down by a lorry while riding along Changi Coast Road - a popular cycling route - on Saturday morning. He died on the spot.

Police said they arrested a 39-year-old man.

Mr Tan was believed to have been riding with a group of friends when he was knocked down.

On Monday, the group of more than 100 cyclists began their Open Slow Ride of Silence at 8.30pm in Mr Tan's memory.

The ride, which started at Lorong Halus and was supposed to end at the wake at Marine Terrace Block 54, was eventually redirected when a relative of Mr Tan appealed to the cyclists not to disturb the wake.

Thus, the ride ended at the spot where the accident occurred along Changi Coast Road.

The cyclists who took part in the ride said they respected the family's request.

"The family wants to grieve in private, and we totally respect that," said Derek Leong, 43, a human resource manager.


Very affected by accident

Miss Quek said that the group decided to organise the ride as they were very affected by the accident.

Said Mr Allen Chew, 53, a golf instructor and avid cyclist, who also helped organise the ride: "Hopefully this will create some awareness... that we cyclists should have a right to share the road with motorists."

The New Paper understands from Mr Tan's grandfather, Mr George Tan, 75, that his grandson lived at Tanah Merah, and often went with his friends to Malaysia for sporting activities.

TNP also understands that he has a younger brother and sister, and his parents were overseas when the incident happened.

When TNP went to the wake at Block 54, many of the relatives declined to comment, with one insisting that they wanted the funeral to be a private affair. The family is appealing for witnesses to the accident.

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The announcement: "Open Slow Ride of Silence for Jude Alphonsus Tan (2012-05-28)". Dual Circles, 28 May 2012.

Response to Jude Alphonso Tan's death: Letters to the Straits Times Forum Page

"Do more to educate road users on safety"
Letter to The Straits Times, Forum Page by Benny Tan, published on 30 May 2012

"I READ with dismay about the death of a cyclist who was hit by a lorry along Changi Coast Road ('Cyclist killed, driver arrested'; Sunday). I later found out that he was an acquaintance from my student days.

Having both ridden and driven along the same stretch of road on numerous occasions, I can attest to the dangerous speeds of some vehicles, especially large trucks and prime movers, travelling on that road.

While safety measures such as road signs alerting drivers to the presence of cyclists have been introduced in recent years, much more can be done to prevent dangerous driving in the area.

For example, in addition to more stringent enforcement of speed limits, companies whose vehicles are known to utilise the road frequently can be directly targeted to remind their drivers to take extra precautions.

Generally, road users in Singapore need to be better educated. I am wont to believe that a straw poll would reveal that many drivers still believe it is illegal for cyclists to be on the road.

Drivers should also be educated about the proper driving behaviour to adopt around cyclists and motorcyclists. Many do not realise that travelling at high speeds next to cyclists causes them to be drawn towards the vehicles.

On the flipside, cyclists, regardless or whether they ride for sport or as a form of transport, should also be educated about safety precautions and proper cycling habits.

More can and should be done, and sooner rather than later. While nobody wants an accident to occur, there is more that we can do to prevent them. Liberties should not be taken when lives are at stake."

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"All have part to play"
Letter to The Straits Times, Forum Page, by Steven Lim, President, Safe Cycling Task Force, published on 30 May 2012

"I AM saddened by the death of a cyclist who was hit by a lorry along Changi Coast Road last Saturday ('Cyclist killed, driver arrested'; Sunday).

Changi Coast Road is popular among cyclists, and there are many 'cyclists ahead' warning signs to warn motorists to look out for them.

Drivers need to recognise that cyclists have an equal right to use the road, and to keep a safe distance when overtaking them.

There have been suggestions online that cyclists should not be on the road because they do not pay road tax. But determining who gets to use public facilities does not hinge on how much tax one pays. After all, we also see road tax-paying motorcyclists being squeezed off the roads.

More important is sharing whatever limited resources we have on this tiny island, and looking out for one another.

We advise cyclists to:

• Travel in a proper and safe manner;
• Wear light-coloured clothing;
• Have lights - white in front, and red at the back - on their bicycles;
• Use hand signals to communicate with other road users; and
• Be patient and courteous, as well as adopt safe practices.

We applaud Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean's call to get tough with errant motorists ('Get tough on speeding, reckless driving: DPM'; May 17).

It is time for the authorities to review some of the rules and penalties for law-breaking motorists. It is not just about catching errant drivers like speedsters, but also the penalties they face after being convicted.

Some of the penalties are too light, especially for those who cause deaths through their recklessness.

While no amount of fines and jail terms would bring back a life, the penalties must serve as a deterrent to other motorists.

While rules and penalties may maintain order, it is also important for road users to have the right mindset and attitude. They have to keep themselves and others safe on the roads. It is about being forgiving, friendly and gracious.

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"Treat cyclists as equals on the road"
Letter to The Straits Times, Forum Page by Deborah Moore (Ms), published on 30 May 2012

"AS A fairly new resident of Singapore and a cyclist, I am disgusted at the callousness of many drivers here who are posting comments on various forums following the horrific death of a cyclist after he was hit by a lorry last Saturday ('Cyclist killed, driver arrested'; Sunday).

I rode that very same stretch of road in Changi just one and a half hours before the accident, so I read of the cyclist's death with a chill in my heart.

What bothers me most, however, is the widespread attitude of drivers here that cyclists do not belong on the road. They think they have more right than cyclists to be on the road because of the high road taxes they pay.

Some comments on the forums include 'why do cyclists have to take up a whole lane?'

Well, we try not to, but it is actually for our own safety. If we squeeze up against the kerb, most drivers will take that as permission to try to squeeze by us in that same lane.

If we ride farther out into the lane, we take up the same width as a car, and drivers are then forced to change lanes to go around us, ultimately making it safer for all.

One other forum user asked why we do not use the park connector networks or coastal pathways.

We avoid these because our speed is faster than that of the pedestrians, dog walkers, elderly people and children using these pathways, and we are mindful of their safety.

Admittedly, some cyclists are less than considerate in their riding formations, for example, travelling three abreast, and do not respect traffic laws, but the majority are just trying to stay healthy by exercising on their bikes."

Cyclist killed by van, another cyclist and a waiting driver injured at Senoko South Road

A van driver kills a cyclist, injures another cyclist and a waiting car driver along Senoko South Road.

Click for larger image

Francis Chu and others in Love Cycling SG have written to Minister of Transport, Lui Tuck Yew. See the Facebook group "Safe Roads For People".

Senoko South Road is a two lane-wide industrial road which typically has large vehicles parked alongside them.

Thanks to Taiwoon of smallwheelbigsmile for the scan of the TNP article.

Taiwoon also reproduces the road casualties statistic from the 2011 Yearbook on his blog.

Jude Alphonsus Tan, RIP

Last Saturday we learnt that a road cyclist was killed on Changi Coastal Road. We now know it was Jude Alphonsus Tan. I did not know him, but have come to learn about his passion for life and his empathy for others.

A heartfelt letter by a former classmate of his has been posted on Small Wheel Big Smile.

RIP Jude.

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Update - An Open Ride of Silence was observed by cyclists from the community on Mon 28 May 2012.

The New Paper, 29 May 2012

click for larger image

Thanks to smallwheelbigsmile for the scan of the TNP article.

19.5km of new park connector to create a 30km loop around the nature reserve by 2018

A new 19.5km park connector will link the existing 5.5km bike trail and 5km Mandai Road park connector to create a car-free space for recreational cyclists to loop around the periphery of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

"Bringing nature closer to residents with 30km cycling loop," by Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012.In the pipeline: 80ha park, viewing towers, 30km cycling loop at central catchment area

Nature buffs will have greater access to flora and fauna in Singapore with a 30km cycling loop to be completed by 2018.

The circuit will go around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve which covers the Upper Seletar, Upper and Lower Peirce, and MacRitchie reservoirs.

It will be formed by joining 10.5km of existing park connectors and biking trails that go around the northern and western borders of Central Catchment Nature Reserve to a new 19.5km park connector. This connector will encircle the reserve's southern and eastern borders.

The new cycling loop was announced on Saturday by Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin at the launch of the Festival of Biodiversity at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

He also announced that the Government will be developing a new 80ha park, named the Chestnut Nature Park, just outside of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The park, which will be ready by 2015, will have forest trails, shelters and educational signs.

Two seven-storey towers will also be built to allow nature lovers to enjoy panoramic views of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

One tower will be located in the Chestnut Nature Park and the other will be built by 2018 in MacRitchie Reservoir Park.

Mr Tan said the developments are part of the Government's objective of bringing people closer to nature and noted that almost half of Singapore land's surface is covered by greenery.

He said: 'Our parks are easily accessed by residents, with most homes within a short walking distance of a park. That is something that we'll work towards.'

He said the Government will continue to engage Singaporeans on new ideas about adding diversity to the urban environment.

He added: 'There will be areas where we can't always agree on, but there is also so much more space that you have found that we can work on together.'

Commenting on the new developments, National Parks Board director of conservation Wong Tuan Wah said: 'Some people say they have no time to enjoy the outdoors. Since you have no time, we will bring the outdoors to you. And if you have more time, we can help you to learn more with things like signages at the parks.'

The cost of the new developments is not confirmed.

Nature groups and the public welcomed the new plans.
Dr Shawn Lum, president of the Nature Society (Singapore), said: 'The Chestnut area is rich in biodiversity but is currently visited mostly by scientists or serious nature buffs. I think more people will be encouraged to visit the area in the future because of the park; it makes it more accessible.'

Teacher Germaine Foo, 46, said: 'I will consider getting my children to use the cycling loop in the future during their school holidays because part of it is near our home in Yio Chu Kang.'

On Saturday was the start of the two-day Festival of Biodiversity. The event, held at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, features exhibitions, workshops and guided tours for the public.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam launched the festival on Saturday.

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Photo taken at the launch of the festival.

"Why I Love To Ride My Bicycle" - Walter Lim on Coolest Insights

Walter Lim writes on Coolest Insights (07 Apr 2012),

Photo from Coolest Insights

"Beyond the green and health related reasons cited by numerous cycling fans - and that number is growing significantly by the day - my personal reason for embracing those frames, spokes and wheels is one that is more nostalgic in nature. As a kid and a teen, I used to ride my bicycle with my brother as well as friends in the lovely Serangoon Gardens neighbourhood where we lived. We ventured to places far and near, from the playgrounds in the estate to Ang Mo Kio to the Upper Serangoon and even Punggol area (back when it still had pig farms).

There were many adventures on two-wheels for a young boy back then. They range from those catastrophic falls with bloodied knees, hands and bodies as our bicycles freewheeled down steep and sharp corners, to "spy missions" where we "visited" certain interesting houses in the estate that had fierce dogs, fascinating aviaries full of parrots, macaws and other exotic "birds"."

Hop over to read Walter's post.

Two articles. a letter and comments in Today Online: "Life in the bike lane"

"Life in the bike lane," by Cheow Xin Yi. Today Online, 15 Apr 2012. Could Central London's 20-month-old bike sharing scheme provide a model for Singapore's CBD?

"They are these days a ubiquitous sight in central London: Executives in suit and tie pedalling from the train station to work in the financial district, or casual backpack-toting commuters on missions unknown, all mounted on bicycles with the distinctive blue livery.

Parking is a veritable breeze. These riders and their Boris bikes - dubbed affectionately after London's cycle-crazy mayor Boris Johnson - need only look for the nearest electronic docking point.

And there are 570 stations, each housing up to 125 points, and no more than 300m apart, all over the city.

Since London's public bicycle sharing scheme was launched in July 2010, as one of the three "spokes" to propel what Mr Johnson has declared the city's "cycling revolution", the response has been promising.

Barclays Cycle Hire is operated and funded by Transport for London (TFL), the body responsible for the city's public transport system, with partial sponsorship by Barclays Bank.

Can Singapore replicate such a model in its central district? After all, cycling is growing in popularity and official support has increased, with the Government having pledged S$43 million to improve cycling infrastructure islandwide under the National Cycling Plan.

While biking enthusiasts Today spoke to debated the viability of a public bike sharing scheme, at least one group of private investors is determined to put the model to the test in an urban workplace context by piloting a project at one-north in the next couple of months. (See related story below.)

PICKING UP SPEED
Modelled after similar projects in Paris and Barcelona, feasibility studies for London's own cycle hire scheme began in 2008.

There were two clear goals, said TFL's head of operations James Mead: "The first is simply to get more people out of their cars and onto a bicycle in London. Second is the impact of that on traffic congestion, on emissions. It's better for the air. And also the health benefits - people are fitter when they ride a bike than driving a car."

The target - to increase cycling's share of total journeys in London from 2 per cent to 5 per cent by 2026 - is one that even Mr Mead admits is ambitious. There have been teething problems, public criticism and rumbles about the cost to tax-payers. Yet even so, the scheme appears to have gained traction in its first 18 months.

It averaged about 15,000 hires a day when it started; by January this year it was 24,000, said Mr Mead, who is confident of hitting 40,000 hires a day, the ridership needed for operations to break even.

Regular users can pay £45 (S$89) a year for unlimited use and a key to slot in to release the bike from its docking point; it can be "returned" at any other station. Casual users simply sign up with a credit or debit card and pay a £1 daily "access fee"; the first 30 minutes of use is free, after which charges climb exponentially (£1 for an hour, £6 for two hours, £35 for six hours).

"The intent, really, is for short point-to-point journeys," said Mr Mead. "The idea is that you can get to almost everywhere you want to go in less than half an hour, get your coffee or your meeting, come back out, start another journey. So you can ride a bike 10 times a day and it won't cost you more than £1. But prices do ramp up quite steeply by the hour because we want those bikes back."

LOW THEFT SURPRISE
Another telling sign of how Londoners have embraced Boris bikes: As of January, fewer than 35 bicycles under the scheme have been stolen.

TFL was prepared for at least 60 bikes a month to go to missing, or 720 a year. A similar scheme in Paris saw 9,000 bikes stolen in the first two years. Mr Mead attributed the London phenomenon to the Barclays scheme's "counter-intuitive" decision to do away with bike locks. The £300-pound penalty fee for lost bikes probably played a part too.

"What we've learnt from Paris is that we actually need to tell people, 'keep your bike with you all the time, put it back in the docking point after you're done. Don't lock it up outside the coffee shop.'

"The other thing that makes it so successful is this community feel around the bikes - all sorts of websites and forums have sprung up where people talk about how they use the scheme and which docking stations always have bikes ... I think people really understand that these are everybody's bikes, and they try to take care of them. It's been really gratifying."

Accidents meanwhile, were capped at fewer than 40 (and no fatalities), another encouraging statistic which Mr Mead attributed to the design of the heavy 23-kg bikes "that can't go very far".

CHEAP, QUICK, CONVENIENT BUT...
One other factor that encourages commuters to cycle in the city centre are the bike lanes and tracks that criss-cross it - though these are often shared with other vehicles or pedestrians.

While central London is far ahead of Singapore's CBD in this respect, civil servant Fergus Harradence, 37, a Barclays cycle hire member, thinks more dedicated cycle routes are needed. "In West London, the main parks and along the River Thames this is not a problem, but in other places you end up jostling with the traffic on fairly narrow and busy streets. The experience would be much improved, and probably more people would use these bikes or their own if the infrastructure was better."

The convenience of the bike hire scheme appeals to those like civil servant Jeremy Burke, who says it is "no more complicated than purchasing tickets in most major cities ... you can just turn up and use it".

Investment banker Stephen Lien, who recommends gloves on 'particularly cold days', added: "It is the cheapest and quickest way to get around central London versus more conventional modes of public transport ... especially if the Tube is down or buses are not running."

Still, a common grouse of riders is the difficulty in docking the bikes when users end up concentrated in certain locations - such as during morning peak hours when most people are biking from the train stations to the office. "It would be great if the bikes were moved around the system more systematically so that there was less build-up in certain spots and less gaps in service at other places," said Mr Burke.

The writer's trip to London was made possible by the British High Commission in Singapore.

3 spokes of London's 'cycling revolution'
- Public bicycle sharing scheme to encourage people to cycle instead of drive within Central London
- "Cycle superhighways", 12 routes marked in blue running from outer London into Central London, for commuters wishing to bike between home and work.
- £4 million made available to selected boroughs for the creation of cycling hubs and local cycling communities

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"Will Singaporean's pilot scheme take off?" By Cheow Xin Yi. Today Online, 15 Apr 2012.

Product designer and avid cyclist Francis Chu has come up with his own innovative twist on the bike sharing system, for his upcoming pilot project at one-north: The docking stations aren't fixed, but mobile.

This tackles one of the problems faced by the London project. Mr Chu explained that during peak hours, most bike sharing systems will have logistics teams undocking bicycles from the end-stations and transporting them by trailer back to the start stations, where they have to unload and dock the bicycles one by one.

"This is obviously very expensive and takes a lot of effort. The window of opportunity is not that great because peak hour is limited - the faster you can recycle the bicycles, the more people can use them," he said.

"What we have come up with is a station integrating storage with the docking of the bicycles. The station itself is on wheels. When the trailer is full, we just close the door the whole station is ready to go," said Mr Chu who, with five other investors, pumped S$100,000 into the scheme.

Besides making short point-to-point journeys, Mr Chu hopes his pilot scheme, called "Isuda" (or "easy, fast and access" in Mandarin), will also encourage commuters to use cycling as a "last-mile connection" between a bus terminal or train station and their workplace.

His group has secured approval for the scheme from JTC Corporation, one-north's landlord, and is running a trial with "one or two users". They hope to price the scheme at S$20 a month for unlimited use, with incremental charges for the duration of each ride.

ERASING A STIGMA
"There is the perception of ... riding a bike for commuting as only appropriate for foreign labourers. That is a stigma that will take some time to erase," he says.

"One of the reasons that one-north is a good location to start with is the mix of people who work there - there is a high proportion of foreigners but these are researchers and usually highly educated; they do not associate cycling with this stigma but, rather, they see it as a greener and efficient mode of transport."

Why not approach the authorities for funding to make it a national scheme?
"We want to be independent and have the freedom, and progress at our own pace. Of course, if there are schemes or funds that are in line with what we are doing, there is no harm in us approaching the authorities." (The group is, meanwhile, in talks with the Land Transport Authority for permission to run the scheme on land not belonging to JTC and to clarify traffic regulations for cycling.)

Essentially, Mr Chu's aim is to make bike sharing profitable by reducing the operating costs. "The reason why London's and Paris' bike-share schemes need sponsors is because it's a very expensive operation. If we can make a small profit, then bike share can be expanded in an organic way," he said, citing hopes of expanding the scheme to the Central Business District someday.

'STILL IN ITS INFANCY'
To cycling enthusiast Ryan Li, the challenge of implementing a bike share scheme in the CBD is the need to balance space for human traffic with space for cyclists, given how built-up the area is.

"Most people cycling to the CBD to work are experienced riders cycling on the roads. Unless there is really a cycling lane catered for on the pavements, it will be quite a challenge" for new riders to cycle within the CBD, said the owner of biking specialist shop Bike Labz.

Indeed, given factors like that and the tropical weather, there are those who are sceptical that cycling to or around the business district would become popular.

The Bike Boutique formerly at Tras Street was founded in 2003 by Lynten Ong and a partner originally as a bike storage facility offering cyclists the use of showers. Mr Ong, who left the company in 2007 before it changed its business, said that in his time, demand was "quite minimal".

"Cycling has grown a little bit more over the years. It's more acceptable now ... but if you notice, it's more an expat market rather than a local market. It's still in its infancy, I think it'll take a while more before locals can accept the fact that it's okay to cycle to work.

Maybe when COEs go up to S$100,000 for cars," quipped Mr Ong, who now owns a bike shop at Jalan Batu.

See comments and responses on Today Online.

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"Tips to ride the bumps in Spore's cycling ambition," by Sibert Muijzers. Letter to Today Online, 20 Apr 2012.

Will "Life in the bike lane" (TODAY on Sunday, April 15) work in Singapore? As an expatriate here for three years from the Netherlands, the No 1 bicycle country in the world, my answer is: No, or not yet.

However, I have some positive comments and even advice.

First, just thinking of the year-round tropical weather and I start to sweat already. Fortunately, though, there are not many steep hills here. In Holland, companies provide shower facilities, so one could still start work fresh - something to promote here.

Imagine, if 10 per cent of commuters were to cycle to work, peak-hour traffic and congestion on public transport would be solved, not to mention the healthier lifestyle for those sitting at their desks for hours.

A change in attitude, that cycling is for the poor, is needed.

Second, like pedestrians, cyclists are at risk on the roads here, especially users of sports bikes or mountain bikes, in their unprotected outfits at higher speeds.

They should realise that they are not in full control of their own safety but are dependent on others. Wearing a functional open-air, wind-optimised helmet is advised. Having said that, nowhere in the world do I see motorists so well behaved.

Third, pedestrians have their own protected pavements; what do cyclists here have? In this respect, I am surprised that product designer and avid cyclist Francis Chu wants to be independent of Government funding for his bike sharing project.

Such schemes should always be combined with sufficient and free parking lots. For example, I live near the Tiong Bahru MRT Station, and all I see are a few bikes locked to roadside fences. Partnership with the Government should be sought.

Holland has bike sharing/hiring programmes, although they are not big, as we have our own bikes, including bikes that can be folded to a size smaller than airline carry-on luggage, which one can take on to trains and buses.

So bicycle producers should promote and develop their business in Singapore.

Next, petty crime is unfortunately high in Holland. Every other year, on average, one of my bikes is stolen when locked, but unattended. Singapore sure has an advantage here.

Lastly, do not forget the millions of tourists. Independently exploring a country like Singapore is best done by bike. One then sees and experiences the most, gets as close to local residents as one wants, stops and goes whenever and wherever.

No other means of transport, including walking, can beat that. Singapore's other modes of transport, though, are well organised and mostly not that expensive. Still, the tourism board should act and promote cycling.

The writer has three bikes in Amsterdam and none in Singapore. This is a shorter version of his comment first posted at www.todayonline.com (from the comments of the previous article)