34 errant cyclists caught over weekend, including 2 who rode against traffic flow: LTA

SINGAPORE - In enforcement operations over two days in a few locations, 34 cyclists were caught flouting rules on roads.

This comes after recent complaints about errant cyclists.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post on Sunday (April 18) that the cyclists were spotted during enforcement operations conducted with the Traffic Police.

LTA said that during the operations, officers were deployed at Ayer Rajah Expressway, West Coast Highway, Bukit Timah and Tanah Merah Coast Road.

"While most were law-abiding, we did find 16 cyclists who rode on the road without helmets," LTA added. Another 16 were caught running the red light. "Two also rode against the flow of traffic."

Such offences can draw fines of $75 for cyclists.

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LTA said it was happy to see that more people are taking up cycling, but urged cyclists to keep safety in mind while on the roads. It also called for cyclists to abide by the rules and be considerate and gracious towards others.

The perennial conflict between cyclists and motorists came to the fore again on April 1 when actor Tay Ping Hui shared a video of a group of road cyclists disregarding traffic rules earlier this month.

He said it was an issue he had experienced for the "umpteenth time", and suggested that all bicycles be registered.

Several others, including Temasek chief executive Ho Ching, then echoed Mr Tay's calls for more regulations to be imposed on road cyclists.

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Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat announced on April 12 that a panel would review existing regulations governing cyclists on the roads, and study whether theory tests and licenses should be required for them.

He said the Active Mobility Advisory Panel would take several months to conduct this review and seek feedback from the public.

Mr Francis Chu, co-founder of cycling group Love Cycling SG, said he was encouraged that LTA found only a minority of road cyclists to be breaking the rules.

He said: “Some of the ‘black sheep’ videos get repeated thousands of times over social media, making it look as if Singapore roads are full of errant cyclists.

“This gives drivers the false impression that most of the cyclists on the roads are bad.”

He suggested that the authorities publicise the number of good cyclists they spotted, and not just the ones breaking rules.

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Mr Chu also called for similar enforcement operations and the breakdown of cases for dangerous driving. “To truly address road safety, we need to address bad behaviour by both motorists and cyclists,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Steven Lim, president of the Safe Cycling Task Force, said he is disappointed whenever he hears about cyclists flouting simple rules like not stopping at traffic lights.

He said: “When I go to schools to give talks, three-year-old kids can tell me that they must stop at red lights, so why can’t adults understand that?

“It’s not just about following rules - it’s about how you protect yourself and how you can protect other road users.”

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.