Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for Transport what can be done to make cycling on our roads safer for cyclists.

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for Transport in view of bicycles and motorcycles using barrier free access paths meant for pedestrians, what is being done to ensure the safety of pedestrians as we continue the drive for barrier free access.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: To ask the Minister for Transport whether there has been a policy shift with regard to cycling as a mode of transport, given his public statement referring to a shift of thinking on cycling.

Response from Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Mr Teo Ser Luck

1 Ms Irene Ng asked if the Ministry has made a policy shift with regard to cycling as a mode of transport. The Ministry used to view cycling as a form of recreation. But we now also recognise that it is an additional or alternative mode of transport for intra-town travel and short trips to key transport nodes.

2 To facilitate cycling for such trips, we have embarked on a range of initiatives. First, as announced in the Land Transport Masterplan, LTA will provide more and better bicycle parking facilities at MRT stations and bus interchanges from 2009 onwards. This will take place progressively, with priority given to towns with relatively high demand.

3 Second, LTA has worked with the public transport operators to conduct a 6-month trial to test the safety and feasibility of allowing foldable bicycles on board buses and trains, during weekends and off-peak periods. The trial is currently ongoing.

4 Third, we are exploring the feasibility of allowing cyclists to share pedestrian footways in selected towns, depending on local conditions. To that end, a Tripartite Committee comprising LTA, the Traffic Police (TP) and Tampines grassroots organisations is conducting a trial in Tampines Town, to study the extent to which local residents are prepared to share a common footway with cyclists safely and with mutual accommodation. The trial, originally scheduled for a year, has been extended for another 6 months to January next year. This extension will allow the Tripartite Committee to step up public education, strengthen enforcement, increase the number of volunteer cycling wardens, and also conduct a feasibility study on improving cycling infrastructure such as selective widening of shared footways, before making a final decision for Tampines itself.

5 In the meantime, for all other areas of Singapore, Rule 28 of the Road Traffic Rules still applies, that is, cyclists should ride on the roads only and not on pedestrian footways. In answer to Ms Jessica Tan’s question, cyclists and motorcyclists caught riding on barrier-free access paths meant for pedestrians can be summoned by the Traffic Police. If they were found to have breached a Road Traffic Rule, it would be an offence under Section 131 of the Road Traffic Act, which attracts a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine or 3 months’ imprisonment for the first offence, and a $2,000 fine or 6 months’ imprisonment for a second or subsequent offence. In cases where the cyclist/motorcyclist conducts himself recklessly to endanger the safety of others, he may also be punished under the Penal Code.

6 What has not changed is that in Singapore’s land-scarce context, we do not have the luxury of space to develop a comprehensive network of dedicated cycling lanes on our roads. Our focus remains on making it safe for various road users to share the space we have.

7 To that end, TP adopts a holistic approach towards promoting safe and gracious sharing of our roads through comprehensive education of and outreach efforts to both motorists and cyclists. TP's continuing education and publicity efforts on road safety centre on the need for motorists to pay special attention to vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. To further protect the safety of cyclists on the roads, LTA has worked with the Safe Cycling Task Force (SCTF) to install more than a hundred signs alerting motorists of the presence of cyclists along frequently used cycling routes, such as those in the West Coast and the Thomson areas.

8 Cyclists also have a part to play towards their own safety. TP works closely with the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association (SACA) on safety education measures for cyclists. Last year, a total of 14 road safety talks were conducted, covering the pre-riding checklist, safe cycling tips and case studies of traffic accidents involving cyclists. Another 41 road safety exhibitions providing safety tips for cyclists were also held at HDB neighbourhoods, primary and secondary schools, and workplaces.

9 Safety, whether for cyclists on the roads or for pedestrians on footpaths, is a shared responsibility. Different groups of commuters have to play their part by adhering to the relevant traffic rules and regulations, and exercise mutual accommodation and due consideration for others when using common space.

Ministry of Transport

27 August 2008

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