Singapore: Do we want to build a city for cars or for people? ❤
This set me thinking when I stumbled upon an online discussion on the right of way for cyclists on the road.
A cyclist in Singapore was sharing that he got into a heated exchange with a truck driver as the driver came as close as a feet away (that’s 30cm).
Cycling mishaps and arguments are not uncommon in Singapore.
In Singapore, it is perfectly legal to cycle on the road but cycling is still stigmatised as a hobby because of safety concerns and the weather.
There could be other reasons why on-road cycling is frowned upon.
It’s hard for drivers NOT to have a sense of entitlement on the roads when they pay such high prices to “use the road”.
For instance, drivers have to obtain a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) and this alone, costs at least S$50,000 for a 1,600cc car!
Therefore, it’s fairly common to hear motorists complain that cyclists “don’t belong on the road”.
But is it a fair statement given that some of these cyclists also pay all sorts of taxes (including income tax) which also goes into funding roads?
Is there enough space on the road?
Yes, roads in Singapore are wide enough for everyone to use.
According to The New Paper report in 2012, the standard car lane width is 2.8m but many are 3.3m to 3.5m wide, sometimes even 4m.
In fact, car lanes are wide enough to be cut to accommodate cycle lanes.
Just last year, Singapore’s first on-road cycle lanes were built on Sentosa.
Experts noted that it could be a good test bed to see if on-road cycling lanes could be adopted in other parts of Singapore.
Such dedicated cycle lanes will help cyclists ride with confidence.
Having said that, it’s easier to implement in Sentosa where roads are more straight-forward and traffic is lower compared to outside of the island.
Cycling network in Singapore
The Government seems bent on building an off-road cycling infrastructure.
Under the National Cycling Plan, it hopes to build a cycling network spanning 700 km by 2030.
We are not too far off achieving that target. There are already some 230km of cycling paths and park connectors in Singapore since three years ago.
Plans are in place to develop all 26 HDB towns into cycling towns.
That means cycling from homes to MRT stations and other key amenities would be a walk in the park!
Ang Mo Kio is the first town in Singapore with bicycle paths all marked out in red to distinguish them from walking paths!
It’s a simple and effective way of reminding pedestrians not to mindlessly hog the cycling paths. These days, people don’t watch where they’re walking especially if they’re on their phones!
We’ve been seeing more cycle lanes within Pasir Ris in recent months and it’s matter of time before the authorities will eventually paint them red too.
There are even bicycle crossings at the traffic light junctions! But if you look at the photo, there’s a cyclist on the pedestrian path.
This goes to show that good infrastructure does not solve all the problems.
Cyclists, pedestrians and motorists — all need to learn how to improve safety and make commuting a pleasant experience for everyone.
Just like the tussles between cyclists and motorists over the right of way on the road… having dedicated cycling lanes on the road may help draw clearer boundaries but if motorists will not learn to be more gracious towards cyclists, cycling arguments will always be an issue.
