BEFORE we introduce bicycle rental kiosks, 'consider these proposals first', wrote Mr George Ee on Dec 11.

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ms chue, as a driver you must understand the word anticipate. look up the meaning before you take out your car. of course you nearly hit somebody ion a crossing, because you were not looking, like most of the singaporean drivers who use the roads.

"The cyclist appeared suddenly in front of her"

USA spent tons of money to develop stealth bomber technology to avoid being seen.

I did not know this technology is now extended to the humble bicycle.

This is my true experience. I was walking on a walkway going slightly downhill. A teenage cyclist from behind could not stop in-time and ran his front tyre into my calf muscles. Though I did not suffer serious injury, It was a very painful experience.

When accident happens, is the cyclist responsible for medical costs?

I hope walkway can be expanded, clear demarcation for walking & cycling. It will be a more enjoyable walking and cycling experience for both.

colonialman, at a pedestrian crossing you look out for pedestrians, not cyclists. A bicycle is much faster than a pedestrian. Bottom line is - it's not a crossing for cyclists, PEDESTRIAN CROSSING geddit?. I'm driving today but have been an avid cyclist for many years. And as far I know, other than a few housing estates where the authorities are trying out allowing cyclists on footpaths, the place for a bicycle is on the road.

I think the authorities should take a second look at allowing cyclists on footpaths, especially when our society still lack the basic acts of courtesy. Just look at Faircomment's sarcasm, which I'm sure he himself won't appreciate if it was his mother that died.

I support stricter rules and regulations for cyclists. I remember when I was small, I was stopped by police for not having a proper bicycle number plate, for not having proper light , for pillowing and for violating traffic rules.

Today, you go to any heartland, you'll be shocked to see all sorts of illegal bicycles.They are a risk to the cyclists.They are a risk to pedestrains.They are a risk to motorists and other road users. These illegal cyclists do not follow any rules. They go against traffic.The go around at night without any lights. They are a hazard to all users.

I hope our proper authorities will look into this grave problem and start regulating them before more fatal accidents occur. More and more heartlanders and many foreign workers are using "illegal" bicycles.

Cyclists should be banned from using padestrian crossing because these crossing are designed for walking pace, not cycling pace.

e.g 1
If suppose you are driving and approaching a zebra crossing while there is cyclist riding on the walk way on your left and is traveling at the same speed as you and in the same direction. Since there is no padestians at sight, you decided to drive through. But right at the same moment, the cyclist decide to cut across the zebra crossing and knock him down.

e.g 2,
You are driving and you are waiting to turn right at a traffic junction. You waited for the last padestrian to clear the road and you decide to turn. And out of the blue, there is a cyclist who came from no where and try to beat the Green man and you knock him down.

Under such circumstance, who should be blame? The driver or the cyclist?

Cyclists on footpath does present risks to all pedestrians especially the elderly, the pregnant women, young children and babies in prams… since most of these group may sustain serious injuries if hit by the powerful impact of a speeding cyclists… speeding at about 20km per hour and a body mass of example 80 to 100kg (weight of bicycle plus cyclist)… I don’t think it takes rocket science to figure out the impact… A nasty fall may be sufficient for elderly to sustain series injuries or death not to mention the impact of a direct hit!

These risks presented by the cyclists INCREASES if the cyclists rides a defective/poor conditioned bicycles or the cyclists are armatures, children, reckless teens, feeble elderly who are not able to control, maneuvers, judge situations/environment and poor/incorrect response.
See details in my other posting in below link;
http://comment.straitstimes.com/showthread.php?t=15525

There are many cases I have read from readers who shared their bad experiences with cyclists on the footpath. I would like to share some of these cases regarding cyclists on footpath with you, please see links below:

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BFor...ry_316485.html
Friend’s Mother dies two week after nasty fall while trying to avoid been hit by cyclists.

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/si...t.jsp?id=42488
Case about speeding cyclist knocking down pedestrian’s wife and his ten years old daughter on the footpath- dated 17 Nov 2008

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum...ry_133473.html
http://comment.straitstimes.com/show...%2C+pedestrian
Jogger hit by cyclist on jogging path- 12 Jun 2008

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum...ry_239369.html
http://comment.straitstimes.com/show...%2C+pedestrian
Witness collision between a speeding cyclist and a pedestrian at sheltered bus stop

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum...ry_226852.html
http://comment.straitstimes.com/show...%2C+pedestrian
Pregnant pedestrian two near misses from been knock down by speeding cyclists at Tampines Street 83.

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum...ry_208396.html
http://comment.straitstimes.com/show...%2C+pedestrian
Almost knock down by cyclist who whizzed past…as if the pedestrian don’t exist.

As an intense observer of the cycling trial at Tampines, I had in many occasions highlighted the risks of allowing cycling in footpaths which no amount of patience or willingness to share will make any difference since the root caused is the lack of proficiency of the cyclists, lack of road worthiness of their bicycles, physical and mental constraint of the cyclists, general bad attitude of large amount of cyclists observed and physical environment limitations (narrow footpath that allow no room for widening such as footpath between and overhead bridge and a slope)

In my more than a year observations at Tampines, on daily basis one can see cyclists waving in and out of pedestrian crowd at traffic junctions in Tampines.
I dare challenge you to take a look for yourself at junction between Tampines Mall and MRT station crossing to the Tampines Ave 4 road. (At many junctions too)
Cut the crap about cyclists to dismount at pedestrian crossings!

After 7pm, on daily basis, one can spot cyclists without proper lightings as required by the law (Rules 11 Road Traffic (Bicycle) Rules). I dare challenge you to take a look at the same junction above.

If such total disregard to our law is tolerated, how do pedestrians be assured of their safety with cyclists on footpath? Yes, the authority can quote the laws that protect pedestrians from errant cyclists, booking statistic etc… there will be no assurance if the defying of the law is seen on daily basis and islandwide! Look at Rule 11 Road traffic (bicycle) rules and Rules 28 of Road Traffic Rules… there are mass defiance to these law daily and islandwide!

In my opinion, the high cyclists’ accidents rates are just the tip of an iceberg, indicating severe failures in our current way of managing cyclists, including failures in addressing the various potential ‘high risk’ cyclists groups and road worthy/ proficiency issues of cyclists;
1. Armatures cyclists that cannot even control their bicycles, cannot brakes in time and cannot execute proper balance are allowed to use the road and narrow congested footpaths.

2. Children and teens cyclists that may not have good road/footpath awareness experience, lack of maturity to respect boundaries of their actions, lack of maturity to make sound judgment in emergencies and not able to safely maneuvers at various roads/footpath conditions are allowed on the road and narrow congested footpaths.

3. Elderly cyclists who cannot control their bicycles due to poor visions, poor co-ordinations and slow response (especially in avoiding an accident) are allow to use the road and narrow congested footpaths.

4. Cyclists with poor condition bicycles are allowed to use the road and narrow congested footpaths. Some of these cyclists had no lighting at all in their bicycles, with worn tires, rusty brakes/brakes cables etc…

5. There is no requirement for any cyclists to be trained/tested/evaluated before they are allow on the roads and narrow congested footpaths by assuming that they are ‘Road worthy or road proficient’ if they can mount and keep balance on their bicycles.

These assumptions that cyclists who are able to mount and keep balance are road/footpath worthy/proficient is in my opinion fallacies, since to be ‘road worthy or road proficient’ it will definitely need more than mere abilities to mount and balance the bicycles.
There are several critical qualities for proficiency on the roads as well as narrow footpaths:
1. Ability of cyclists to keep their balance and control in different terrains, footpath/roads conditions and situations/scenarios presented by different roads/ narrow footpaths.
(I do observe many Aunties/uncles clearly unable to control their bicycles especially having to safely and smoothly maneuvers pass pedestrians in a narrow footpath)
2. Ability of cyclists to look forward and rear with clear situations awareness.
3. Ability of cyclists to make timely and correct judgment/actions in emergency situations.
4. Good knowledge and adherence to traffic rules and guidelines for roads and footpaths.
5. Good Safety awareness and ability to apply this awareness while riding.

Therefore, with so many potential risks factors in the current cyclists management system, how not to have high accidents rates for cyclists?

These ‘high risk’ cyclists groups are not only endangering themselves but also other road users and pedestrians on the narrow congested footpaths when they are allowed to use the roads or footpaths. They should be kept off the road and be restricted only on designated areas till they are proficient and road/footpath worthy.

Apart from the potential risks factors above, it must be noted that people who use bicycles as transport could be quite different groups from sports and leisure cyclists as they tends to rush to meet their schedules (speeding) or tends to overload their bicycles (affecting their balance) therefore present greater risks to pedestrians on the narrow congested footpaths.

These risks are added to pedestrians on the footpaths, pedestrians do not ‘ask’ for such risks, either are they responsible for such risks when authorities allow cyclists to use the footpaths without protecting their interest and without visible/efficient system to ensure their safety including addressing the ‘high risk’ cyclists groups.

The relevant authorities will need to address these safety issues if they really want to protect the cyclists groups from harms’ way.
Pushing the cyclists groups with all their potential risks above to the pedestrians on the narrow congested footpaths without addressing these safety issues are therefore irresponsible and at the expense of pedestrians on the footpath.

The gahmen should build cycling lanes for the poor cyclists lah. They should know that cycling in dedicated lanes increases productivity. The cost incurred is not a liability, its an investment with very high returns