Are cyclists sharing the roads graciously? Letters to the media

"Cycle safely, not aggressively." The Sunday Times Think, 22 May 2011.

Recently, while driving home along Holland Avenue, I noticed two cyclists in front, riding on the right lane of the two-lane road.

They took up the whole lane, and there was a slow-moving bus on the left lane, so none of the motorists behind could overtake them.

When a taxi driver indicated his annoyance, he was met with threatening gestures from one of the cyclists. The rider even stopped and lifted his bike, threatening to throw it at the taxi.

His actions were uncalled for.

This reminds me of an incident earlier this year, when a cyclist tapped on my car window at a traffic junction and accused me of trying to cut him off the road, even though I had earlier tried to change lane to avoid him.

These cyclists should remember that roads here are still meant primarily for the use of motor vehicles.

Cyclists should not 'assert' their claim on road use by flouting the rules or acting aggressively. Such attitudes will not help foster a safer environment for both cyclists and motorists.

Jerry Low

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"Cyclists need to play their part too," Today Online Voices, 24 May 2011.

AS A driver, I am happy to see that many motorists are displaying the "1.5m matters. Share the road." stickers as a sign of their awareness of the vulnerability of cyclists.

I also note that many cyclists are using helmets, flashing lights and that some ride defensively by asserting their rights as equal road-users like other vehicles.

However, I have also observed that cyclists, while demanding that drivers observe traffic rules for safety' sake, do not behave like good road-users should.

For example, I have seen on many occasions, cyclists not stopping for a red light when there are no oncoming cars. Also, many ride side-by-side and take up the whole lane instead of riding in a single file.

I feel that there is more than enough room on our roads for all types of vehicles, including bicycles. But cyclists need to realise that they too are subject to traffic rules that are there for both their safety and mine.

Danny G Tan

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"'Raging bulls' on park connectors." The Straits Times Forum Online, 24 May 2011.

I HAVE had some harrowing experiences with speeding cyclists on park connectors recently.

Some park connectors have pictures of bicycles and feet painted on them to encourage cyclists and pedestrians to keep to their side of the road for safety reasons.

In the latest encounter, I was jogging on the extreme right side of the park connector, designated for pedestrians. A cyclist came headlong towards me at top speed and braked unwillingly just centimetres away, after realising that I was not going to be able to avoid him. I was shell-shocked.

He seemed to be swearing in a foreign language, given the disgusted expression on his face, and cycled off at top speed again. In another incident I witnessed, a toddler wandered away from his parents and stepped unknowingly into the path of a speeding cyclist. The cyclist managed to avoid the toddler in time, but instead of slowing down or apologising, he continued on his way and shouted out to people to "be careful".

I am deeply saddened by these errant cyclists who do not care about the safety of others. Such encounters seem to be on the rise, and I feel the stress of constantly looking out for these "raging bulls".

If we ban cyclists from park connectors, that will be an injustice to people who cycle at a leisurely pace. If we install speed sensors along park connectors to catch and fine speeding cyclists, that would take time and money, and probably a lot of convincing of the authorities.

Therefore, I appeal to all cyclists to slow down on park connectors that are shared by pedestrians.

In land-scarce Singapore, where park connectors are no more than 2m to 3m wide, speeding can be dangerous for both pedestrians and cyclists. I am sure no cyclist would want to inflict grievous hurt on others and injure themselves in the process.

Pedestrians are not always beyond reproach and should also do their best to stick to their side of the road.

A little courtesy goes a long way.

Lau Pei Yng (Miss)

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"Ensure cyclists learn traffic rules." The Straits Times Forum, 24 May 2011.

OF LATE, there has been a strong push towards safeguarding cyclists on Singapore roads. I am happy to note that there has been an observable increase in tolerance by motorists for cyclists. Nonetheless, I feel the situation can be improved further.

I acknowledge that most cyclists do obey traffic rules. However, I have also seen a few, particularly in suburban neighbourhoods, who risk their lives by choosing to switch between being a road user and a pedestrian as and when it is to their convenience. This presents a degree of uncertainty that can lead to unfortunate incidents.

One weekend, I witnessed a young couple on separate bicycles, with children in tow, making a right turn at a junction, then steering left onto the pavement adjacent to the traffic light. There was a taxi behind, but thankfully it was travelling at a slow speed or else it might have run them down.

I have witnessed a few similar cases. If we are to have safer roads for all users, it seems only logical to institutionalise the learning of traffic rules by cyclists, and if need be, some degree of enforcement.

After all, if other road users are required by law to sit and pass the highway code test before they can take to the road, what more for the most vulnerable group out there?

Ivan Lee

What is Everyday Traffic?

The open facebook group Everyday Traffic is "a discussion portal and a resource portal for all things transport and traffic. "

A discussion portal is welcome news for cycling, especially one which regular folk can participate in easily. Facebook has facilitated participation well beyond blog-reading regulars for most things, so this is a promising venue.

Everyday Traffic is managed and moderated by Tham Chen Munn, the director of Traffic and Transport Consultancy Services at McCormick Rankin Cagney, a transportation consultancy, Chen Munn is also the Vice President for Leisure & Safety with the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association.

This site hopes to encourage awareness and discussion amongst the transport community -planners, developers, architects, students, engineers, journalists, policy-makers, good drivers, bad drivers, etc. By taking into the larger, relevant issues on transport, cycling discussions avoid 'us vs them' limitations and contribute coherently to awareness and fuel action.

Admittedly this is as ephemeral as any other facebook page - while well suited for an ongoing conversation, we can’t link to specific discussions and trawling through the archives is only possible linearly.

So treat it as a source of conversation and Chen Munn promises a FRIDAY FRIENDLY FEUD, a current affairs topic he will moot related to traffic for everyone can pitch in ther five cents worth! This was simulated by a diverse yet constructive discussion on the feasibility of a helmet law for bicycles on 8th April 2011. Hop over to take a look!

Ride of Silence Singapore - 21 May 2011 @ MBS, register at 8am

The Ride of Silence is observed in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.

• To HONOR those who have been injured or killed
• To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
• To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD

"The Ride of Silence is free of charge and open to all without affiliations, we only ask cyclists to ride no faster than 20 Km/h (12 mph) and to remain silent throughout the ride."

Event details:

• Saturday 21 May 2011: 8am.
• Starting location: Marina Bay Sands Promenade.
• Destination: 20 Km Loop to Marina Bay Sands

Find out more more at the Ride of the Silence webpage at rideofsilence.sg and stay up to date via the facebook page.

Note: this is not a joyride for newbies but for cyclists familiar with the roads. The organiser shares on the facebook event page that the 'Singapore Traffic Police PROHIBITS them from having motorcycle escorts, motorized safety vehicle or blocking the flow of traffic in any way.'

RIP Paul, 29 Apr 2011

More sad news - on Fri 29 Apr 2011, Woon Taiwoon wrote on his blog, smallwheelbigsmile about another cyclist who died:

Photo from Woon Taiwoon's blog

"Paul, the legend and super nice guy. I met him several times on sunday rides and the last being the HP alumni Japan Charity ride..where I had an honor to try his moulton and we chatted along the ride.... and made the decision to buy one... was so looking forward to show him.....
But today morning...Paul was hit by a car driven by a drunk driver this morning at ECP and has sadly passed on. "

See "Goodbye Paul, RIP, I will miss u!"

RIP Paul.

Thanks for the alert, Kenneth.

Note Taiwoon clarifies in the comments that Paul was sitting in a van driven by his friend. Heading towards Changi Ferry Terminal for a Sedili ride, they were rear-ended by a drunk driver.

“… bicycle no brake, ah?” (Fixies in Singapore)

Wikipedia states:

"A fixed-gear bicycle (or fixed-wheel bicycle, commonly known in the USA as a fixie) is a bicycle that has no freewheel, meaning it cannot coast — the pedals are always in motion when the bicycle is moving.

The sprocket is screwed directly onto a fixed hub. When the rear wheel turns, the pedals turn in the same direction. This allows a cyclist to stop without using a brake, by resisting the rotation of the cranks, and also to ride in reverse.

Track cycling in a velodrome has always used fixed-gear track bikes, but fixed-gear bicycles are now again used on the road, a trend generally seen as being led by bicycle messengers."

peonfixed says,

"Living in Lion City, a concrete jungle, cycling may not be taken seriously as a mean of transport. But nevertheless, we are a group of passionate fixie riders that appreciate a good gathering and cycling as and when we can afford to. Instead of taking it as a form of serious sport, this is a lifestyle that is adaptable for our daily living.

Its a known fact that fixie bicycles are a vast minority… for better or worse. And most obviously if you not anywhere near to a velodrome, people will be even less used to seeing one. Only provided, if they even know what a trackbike is!

The most common response that we are confronted to remarks such as:
“… bicycle no brake, ah?”

Instead of wasting our time and energy in getting pissed with the masses that perceive us unruly, lawless, brakeless hell-bent brigands; we’re having fun with those very notions.

We are PEONFX.. we are people on fix. We are an apparel company and we support fixie fashion and we want to expand fixie lifestyle. We ride with anyone and everyone that loves pedal power. Come join us on our regular 321POLO! event. There are no restrictions and regulations to come along and enjoy a good time out riding."

See also: crankarmsteady and TR Bikes and links therein.

Singapore Park Connectors: cyclists can wheel out bike trail tips," by Feng Zengkun. The Straits Times 18 Apr 2011.NParks invites them to plug scenic spots, offer ideas to improve network

Click for larger image

CYCLING routes by the people, for the people.
By the year's end, cyclists in the park connectors here will have access to recommendations - provided by their fellow cyclists - to restaurants, heritage spots and scenic views along these biking trails.

Beyond this, cyclists and other park connector users will also be encouraged to offer ideas to improve the network, said Mr Bernard Lim, the assistant director of the National Parks Board's (NParks) Park Connector Network.

The information on the network, which will eventually take cyclists from Bukit Timah to Marina Bay, will be posted on the NParks website.

The data-banking is off to a rolling start.

Since NParks launched an online feedback form for members of the public in January, it has received about 10 replies a week; it also keeps in touch with local cycling groups here for their input.

Retiree Mina Chan and her friends form one such 'resource' group. Aged between 40 and 60, these avid cyclists try out a different park connector every weekend, and, for the last five years, have offered NParks updates on the condition of the tracks and alerted it to danger spots.

Ms Chan already has a route to recommend to fellow cyclists - the waterfront stretch between Alexandra Canal and the Singapore Flyer.

Another cyclist, Mr Han Jok Kwang, 56, has petitioned NParks successfully to keep the gravel stretch through hilly terrain in the western loop connector.

'I asked NParks to keep it because it gives cyclists variety,' he said.

Mr Lim said that, without Mr Han's petition, NParks may have levelled the terrain and laid tarmac so everyone - even beginner cyclists - can use it.

NParks considers suggestions as long as they do not compromise safety, he said, although such assessments can be subjective.

He said the call for input from cyclists aims to make the routes more personal for users of the park connectors. 'We spent the first few years building up the infrastructure; now let's see what else we can do with it,' he said.

The Park Connector Network consists of seven parts, to be developed by 2015 (see graphic). By then, it will have 300km of bike paths.

Mr Lim said, with the cycling community contributing information, the pan-island network can be made safer too.

'Our employees and sub-contractors check the routes every day but they cannot cover everything because the routes are too long. Having more eyes helps us catch more things.'

Mr Pan Wee Yeow, a retiree who rides twice a week, said seasoned cyclists can identify problems before injuries occur. These include blind corners that need mirrors to be set up and where speed-reducing strips may be advised. He added that regular cyclists can also spot growing problems that may otherwise go unnoticed, such as faulty lighting or algae on the paths, which makes them slippery.

NParks said it fixes minor problems such as faulty lights within two days of being notified; problems requiring more work, such as levelling bike paths to prevent jarring bumps, may take up to a week.

Mr Pan hailed NParks' move to get the public involved, given that more people are taking up cycling.

There are no statistics on the cycling population here, but cycling clubs say the number of people on two-wheelers has exploded in the last five years.

The OCBC Cycle Singapore event last month, a ride of up to 60km along East Coast Park, attracted more than 10,000 participants, twice the number two years ago.

For Mr Han, cycling is about going back to a simpler pastime.

He said: 'We have the integrated resorts, gadgets, all the fancy diversions. Sometimes, things don't need to be so high-tech. Sometimes, all you need is a road and a bike.'

Members of the public may e-mail nparks_mailbox@nparks.gov.sg to join NParks' mailing list and to get the link to the feedback form.

Should cyclists be licensed? Pass tests? Or does cycling safely just require common sense? Letters to Today Online

Only the letters are available below; click to read the letters and comments,

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"Cyclists should have to get licensed too." Letter from Raymund Koh Joo Guan. Today Online, 21 Mar 2011.

I refer to the article about bicycle theft being prevalent in Tampines (March 21).

The menace of bicycles everywhere and the scourge of illegally parked bicycles causing obstruction to pedestrians are not new. The authorities should consider mandating all bicycles to have registration plates and ID tags.

All bicycles should be registered with the Land Transport Authority. Cyclists need not pay road tax but they should be subjected to a toll if they wish to use the bus lanes.

Some errant cyclists ride and chat in the middle of the bus lanes, obstructing buses. While the LTA takes enforcement action against motorists caught abusing bus lanes, there isn't anyway to track offending cyclists. Therefore, registration plates for bicycles are useful.

With bicycle numbers on the raise, we have seen more cyclists riding illegally on the pavements. The Traffic Police and Town Councils have a hard time enforcing the rules. Bicycles are also sold without any move to advise cyclists that cycling on the pavement is an offence.

The authorities should make it mandatory for all cyclists to obtain a licence, similar to a motorbike license. The applicants must pass a theory test. Practical tests should be carried out on both motorised and conventional bikes.

This would drive home to the public that we take a serious view on cycling on the pavements, not to mention the use of stolen bicycles.

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"Licences would make cycling less accessible." Letter from Aaron Samuel Yong Today Online, 23 Mar 2011.

I READ Mr Raymund Koh Joo Guan's letter "Cyclists should have to get licenced too" (March 21, Voices Online) with an odd mixture of empathy, bewilderment and ultimately disagreement.

As an occasional motorist, avid cyclist and frequent pedestrian, I can safely say that the cycling environment in Singapore is already bordering on hostile without adding administrative problems for cyclists on top of the existing physical ones. I myself have encountered visibly irritated drivers and had my space uncomfortably encroached upon by lumbering heavy vehicles while cycling on the road - just as brazen cyclists have made me unsettlingly wary while driving or downright cross while walking.

What Singaporeans need to understand, however, is that by most measures, cyclists are at the losing end of the transport deal.

Cycling on roads, though technically the law-abiding option, is not safe by any stretch of the imagination, no matter how many precautions both cyclists and motorists take. The excellent Park Connector network leaves me in no doubt that the Government would do even more to cater to cyclists if we were not so constrained by space, but the reality of today is that every cyclist takes a risk every time he or she journeys out onto the road.

Singapore already has a reputation for rather zealous administrative policies; a bicycle registration and cycling licensing scheme would almost certainly make us a laughing stock in the international community.

Besides being a completely unnecessary burden on the Land Transport Authority's time and resources as well as taxpayers' money, such a scheme would only serve to discourage thousands of Singaporeans from engaging in an extremely affordable, environmentally-friendly and healthy mode of transport.

To license a cyclist is to both over-complicate and completely miss the point of the activity: Cycling appeals because it is so accessible to people of all ages. I am hard-pressed to imagine a scene more ridiculous than a nine-year-old girl innocently pedalling along the East Coast Park on a S$90-bike, registration plates mounted front and back and a licence in her pocket.

It would be a scenario of unprecedented micro-management on the Government's part. What next, a pedestrian licence to drive home our serious view on jaywalking?

As for the issue of illegally-parked bicycles, I would expect the authorities to first do something about the plethora of illegally-parked (and actually registered) motorcycles obstructing pavements across the island and the motorcyclists with the audacity to tailgate passers-by while parking them, before finding fault with humble human-powered vehicles.

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"Rules for cyclists to live by." Letter from Isaac Koh Zhao Jin. Today Online, 24 Mar 2011. Tests, insurance would help to ensure their safety on the roads

I REFER to the letter "Licences would make cycling less accessible" (March 23). Mr Aaron Samuel Yong correctly pointed out that cycling on the roads is not safe.

What he did not point out is that Singapore has one of the highest vehicle densities in the world and we need to adapt our traffic rules accordingly.

As a motorist, I've witnessed countless near-misses involving reckless cyclists. Many do not know the risks involved and forcing them to go through proper lessons and training would go a long way towards mitigating accidents and fatalities.

I've seen cyclists going against the flow of traffic, riding without reflectors at night and even a pair hogging two lanes during peak hours.

I would like to suggest that cyclists meet the following criteria before being allowed on the roads:

1. Cyclists must know and abide by existing traffic rules. Having them pass the basic/final theory tests by the Traffic Police would be sufficient.
2. Cyclists should be able to pass the "plank-test" required of all motorcyclists. Cyclists unable to maintain good balance pose a danger to motorists and themselves.
3. Cyclists need to know what safety precautions to take. Penalties should be imposed on those failing to comply.
4. Motorcyclists are required by law to wear crash helmets; cyclists should not be exempted.
5. Cyclists must be able to ride at a minimum speed to avoid holding up traffic. A minimum speed of 30kmh should be required.
6. Like all motorists, cyclists should be insured against accidents. Currently, motorists bear the cost of any accident involving cyclists. Cyclists must share the responsibility.

These may seem draconian but remember that, in any accident, cyclists may suffer more injuries.

It should be the cyclists' responsibility to ensure their own safety and it should never be at the expense of other road users.

Licensing cyclists is not about protecting cyclists from motorists: it's about protecting cyclists from themselves.

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"Better to cycle against flow of traffic." Letter from Lim Kai Teck Andrew. Today Online, 26 Mar 2011.

I refer to the letter "Rules for cyclists to live by " by Isaac Koh Zhao Jin. I do not think he has ever met with a bicycle accident. My brother observed the traffic rules and cycled with the flow of traffic. He was unable to assess the behaviour of the motorist behind him; he was also knocked down not knowing by whom or even what kind of vehicle.

It would be so much better to cycle against the flow of traffic, so that the cyclist can determine if a motorist appears reckless or drunk, and at least in the event of being knocked down, the cyclist can note the model of the vehicle or even better, the licence number.

It it ridiculous for Mr Koh to suggest having cyclists go for basic/final theory tests. Imagine uneducated aunties or grannies being forced to take the tests. Cycling safely requires just common sense, such as not speeding when there are passers-by on the pavement, and observing the traffic crossing rules.