Singapore — Recent reports of reckless cyclists on the road have prompted street food guru KF Seetoh to come up with his own recipe for road safety.
“Implement road safety for cyclist too, just like how (bike) riders (and) drivers are strictly bound by it,” the Makansutra founder wrote in a Facebook post on Monday (Apr 19). “Even walkers and bladers have laws.”
“When one or a small group of unregistered and untrained road users is allowed to disregard the rules and code of conduct on our roads, no one is safe”, he wrote.
“You need rules la, that’s common sense.”
Lately, there have been many instances of reckless cyclists on the road.
In two days alone (Apr 17 and Apr 18), Land Transport Authority (LTA) enforcement officers and Traffic Police officers found 34 cyclists had flouted road traffic rules.
Mr Seetoh joined others online voicing concern about reckless cyclists.
“Of course we have to address bad behaviour by all road users which is why there’s a law that will punish all registered and trained road users,” he wrote.
Articulating the anxieties felt by motorists, he added: “Tell me if a driver has never wondered what some wahoo riders will do when they approach a stationary bus at a bus stop from behind (bike has no mirrors and dun even bother to see if there’s cars on their right before they swerve into the second lane and endanger the second and third lane users.). Or what a cyclist will do when they suddenly see a little pothole on the road and naturally swerve, and test the reflexes of the poor driver behind”.
“It’s pointless to sing the green transport song and fear discouraging riders when you cannot keep all road users safe in this stressed-out land-scarce roads of Singapore,” Mr Seetoh wrote.
“If your roads are not bike-friendly as yet, go easy on encouraging green lawless riding on the roads, please.
“You have to make that firm decision on your own, no point putting up some select committee of opposing views and get nowhere with it. Dun ask which group is more impt. Safety is not bargainable,” he concluded.
Earlier this month, footage of cyclists in Singapore taking multiple lanes sparked online debate regarding road safety.
At present, cyclists and PAB riders are allowed to ride on roads, but not on expressways and road tunnels. Under the Road Traffic Act, it is mandatory for cyclists and PAB riders to wear a helmet when riding on roads. There is also a code of conduct they should follow when cycling on roads under the Highway Code. /TISG