Pedestrian Safety on Footpaths Open to Cyclists

4 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport in view of the recent instance of a child being hit by a cyclist at Serangoon Park Connector, what are the measures taken to safeguard vulnerable persons on footpaths such as children and the elderly.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Mrs Josephine Teo) (for the Minister for Transport): Mdm Speaker, the incident to which the Member referred to concerned a three-year-old boy. I believe his name is Kyle. His parents had posted a photograph of him after the incident on social media. Some of us would have seen the photograph. Kyle suffered nasty bruises around his mouth. His lips were swollen. His teeth loosened. As a result of that, he could not eat or sleep very well. It has been about three weeks since the incident. I hope he has fully recovered by now.

His parents were very sensible and mature in their handling of the matter. Even though they posted the photograph on social media and it went viral, they made it very clear that their purpose was not to denounce the cyclist but to alert other cyclists of the potential risks when they use shared pathways, such park connectors.

Indeed, although such cycling is allowed, cyclists must always remember that they have a duty of care not to endanger others through inconsiderate, reckless or irresponsible behaviour. In this incident, as is the case for other accidents, the Police will investigate and, if the cyclists are found to have been errant, the Police will take appropriate action against them. At the same time, LTA is stepping up enforcement efforts, it is developing a National Cyclist Education Programme with the Singapore Road Safety Council. It is clear that we do not just need enforcement. We need more education in order to further promote safe and considerate cycling.

The Active Mobility Advisory Panel led by my colleague, Parliamentary Secretary Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal, is also reviewing the rules and safety guidelines for cyclists and users of personal mobility devices. The panel is expected to release its report in the second quarter of the year.

Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): I thank the Senior Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. It is an issue that residents in Clementi, both cyclists as well as pedestrians, have raised on how to peacefully and happily co-exist and share spaces together.

Would the Ministry consider mandating the use of licensed plates on bicycles to enhance accountability in the unfortunate event of accidents and also to protect cyclists from cases of mistaken identity?

Mrs Josephine Teo: Madam, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. It is a pertinent question, whether licensing will help. And one can imagine the benefits of doing so. With licensing, you could maintain a register and, in the event there is an accident, presumably we can trace who might have caused it. But it really depends on whether the register is regularly updated and whether the information which it contains is accurate.

Years ago, I was living and working in China, and I remember buying a bicycle. It was a pink one. My memory is fading but I can remember having to give my name, address and, of course, I had to pay a fee. And then I was given a small little plate to affix to my pink bike. So, there was a register that said who had purchased this bike. When I finished my posting and was packing to go home, this bicycle just would not fit. So, I gave it away and, if you ask me whom I gave it to, I honestly cannot remember. Quite frankly, whoever was maintaining that register is not any wiser.

This is just one of the implementation difficulties. As Members of Parliament on the ground, we have also encountered in void decks sometimes abandoned bicycles, unclaimed bicycles still chained to the bicycle racks. We are at a loss as to what to do because we cannot figure out who owns it and what will happen if we just removed it.

Bear in mind also that bicycles are owned by people of a very wide age range. So, you could have children owning bicycles. They use it for a few years and then the family decides to hand it down to someone else. There will be movement of these bikes and we will have to decide where to draw the line.

These would be some of the practical difficulties involved in licensing bicycles. I am not sure whether in China they still maintain such registers but, in fact, most countries do not have licensing for bicycles.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Mdm Speaker, the Senior Minister of State has said something about education for safe and considerate cycling. Can I ask the Senior Minister of State whether the Ministry of Transport (MOT) would think about introducing speed limits for cycling at parks or park connectors?

Just to share that I was doing a jog at Gardens by the Bay East and I had cyclists zipping by at high speed as if they were on a racing track. I thought it was very dangerous because there were also young children running along the park connectors. It may be a Ministry of National Development (MND) issue because we should not really design park connectors with too-wide bicycle paths that allow bicycles to speed.

Mdm Speaker: Mr Lim, can you put the question, please?

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Yes. Would MOT introduce speed limits for cycling at parks or park connectors?

Mrs Josephine Teo: Madam, I believe this is one of the questions that Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal is considering as part of his panel's work.