Bicycle Terminals at Key Locations in City and Downtown

Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Transport whether the Government will consider setting up dedicated bicycle terminals at key locations in the city and downtown with the necessary facilities to support those who would like to cycle from their home to the city.

Mdm Speaker, congratulations and welcome to Mr Murali Pillai, and also, belated wishes to you, Madam, and all the mothers, "Happy Mother's Day".

In answer to the Member Mr Darryl David, there are currently more than 800 bicycle parking lots at eight Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations located in the city area. For the Downtown Line, which is the newest line to be operational, bicycle parking lots will be provided at a majority of the stations in the city area.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also plans to require bicycle parking standards for private residential, commercial and community developments, including those in the city area. Besides parking, developers will soon have to submit a Walking and Cycling Plan which factors in other supporting facilities for cyclists, such as showers and lockers.

I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. It is heartening to know that this is going to happen, but until the developers provide these facilities, I was wondering whether under the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) or LTA, we could consider providing those lockers, showers and facilities at the dedicated bicycle hubs or terminals. Many of us would like to try to cycle to work, but due to our weather, by the time we get there, whether we are caught in the heat or in a storm, we are drenched. Would the Government consider this?

In response to the supplementary question, there are really two considerations. One is that at the sites where the MRT stations are located, we need to have the available space in order to carry out a plan like dedicated bicycle terminals. The second consideration is that when we provide bicycle facilities, we must bear in mind the objective, that is, first- and last-mile connectivity. That is why the intention is to involve building owners. Even if you have provided a bicycle terminal, the individual will still have to get to the destination. That, ultimately, is going to be a building with an owner. So, we prefer to require these owners to implement Walking and Cycling Plans so that facilities can be nearer to the destinations of the bicycle users.