Developing a National Integrated Cycling Strategy and Policy Framework

Thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to speak on developing a National Integrated Cycling Strategy and Policy Framework. This is an issue that I have been raising for many years.

It is gratifying to see progress over the years, with cycling gaining greater support in and out of this House as a mode of transport. Cycling offers people a cheap and convenient mode of transport. It means healthier citizens, less congested roads and a more sustainable city. We worry about haze pollution but, on a daily basis, road transport is one of the biggest sources of pollution in Singapore.

In contrast, cycling reduces carbon emissions. It also offers benefits for a range of wider public policy concerns. They include those concerned with promoting public health, reducing reliance on cars, easing pressure on our infrastructure and improving urban design and building a community's social capital.

The good news is that more people in Singapore are cycling for leisure, sport and their regular commute. The bad news, however, is this: anecdotal evidence suggests that cyclists suffer somewhat from an image problem among some motorists and pedestrians. Some motorists believe that cyclists should not be on the road. The fact that road and traffic design do not cater to cyclists' safety reinforces this perception. But this view – that cyclists should not be on roads – is patently wrong.

Bicycles are legally classified as vehicles and entitled to use the road. Some motorists seem oblivious to this fact, leading them to show insufficient care, even aggression, towards cyclists, resulting in avoidable collisions and a road environment hostile to cyclists.

Given the danger on roads, many cyclists, especially the novice, the juniors and the seniors, ride on footpaths. Now, that is actually against the law – the Road Traffic Act

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specifically bans people from cycling on footpaths, except in Tampines. But, often, it seems the safest option and, sometimes, they really have no choice. Their quest to seek safety on footpaths puts them in conflict with pedestrians.

Hence, as the number of cyclists rises, so, too, the number of complaints by pedestrians against cyclists, leading to mounting pressures on the authorities to summon cyclists for riding on footpaths. But we have to ask ourselves: is the problem the cyclist, or is it the lack of infrastructure and a coordinated strategy for the bicycle as a mode of transport?

It is important to address this issue urgently. The whole set-up, as it is, pits cyclists, pedestrians and cars against one another. If the situation is allowed to persist, the negative attitudes of motorists and pedestrians towards cyclists will harden. This will just sour the ground for any Government plan to promote cycling as a sustainable mode of transport.

Sir, I am a pedestrian, cyclist and motorist. In fact, many cyclists own cars and many pedestrians own bicycles, so let us not encourage the divisive false dichotomy between cyclists versus motorists, or cyclists versus pedestrians.

Community is not built by isolating segments of society. Community is built by making it possible for people to share common space peacefully and safely. Cities which strive to be great create green, smart and sustainable urban areas and do not pit one group against another. I believe Singapore can be such a great city, great for cycling, walking and living.

Sir, MOT and MND have been active in engaging cycling groups and other stakeholders and have made good efforts to improve the cycling network. In this regard, I welcome the URA's Draft Master Plan 2013 which sets out the National Cycling Plan to build a cycling network of 700 km by 2030 and to transform all HDB towns into "cycling towns".

I thought that the recent report by the Centre for Liveable Cities, which examines the best practices from cities around the world, offers useful ideas and much hope. The question now is how to move from good intentions to coordinated policy and from policy to practice.

The answer lies in an integrated cycling strategy which has specific, measurable targets, fosters cooperation between Government agencies and supported by adequate and sustained funding.

International experience and also our experience in Tampines as Singapore's first cycling town suggest that having such an integrated framework can be a powerful tool for action across Government on this vital agenda. This framework can provide a common basis for the long-term development and implementation of coordinated cycling policies among

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the different agencies, as well as among the national and local authorities and in partnership with industry, cycling groups and other stakeholders. It can also demonstrate political will and commitment at the national level, thereby pushing cycling policies higher up the policy agenda and mainstreaming it.

Sir, planning for cycling cannot be addressed in isolation. While there has been a range of separate initiatives on cycling in Singapore, it is hard to make real headway unless cycling policies are integrated with wider transportation and other policy fields, such as town planning, road safety, education and enforcement.

Today, bicycles account for only 1% of all trips. There is enormous scope to increase the modal share of cycling, particularly for those making short local trips. A target in cycling modal share should be spelt out, as well as for walking. This would show the Government's seriousness in promoting sustainable modes of transport.

It is clear that a more decisive national commitment to cycling and a more comprehensive approach would be required for Singapore to catch up with international best practices. In my speech, I would like to focus on three key areas: first, infrastructure; second, legislation; and third, education.

First, infrastructure. It must be understood that providing stretches of cycling paths alone does not create a cycling town. Cycling tracks which are fragmented could not be described as a cycling network. The urban cycling network must consist of a broad variety of measures, including traffic-calmed streets, cycle-friendly junctions and a coherent policy on shared paths and footpaths. The bicycle network should be part-and-parcel of the integrated approach to urban traffic solutions and urban town design.

In designing such a network, it is useful to understand the psychology of cyclists. A cyclist has to pedal hard to produce a steady power to propel oneself on a bicycle. The average commuting rider produces no more than 100 watts of propulsion power, or about what it takes to power a reading lamp. Stopping and starting at frequent stop signs waste momentum. That is why even the most considerate residents are reluctant to dismount and push across road crossings. And that is why planners have to understand the need to design a cycling network that can connect origin and destination as directly as possible.

To achieve this, they need to give consideration to cycling right at the start of all developments and make it an integral part of the design for all new infrastructure projects. Given our space constraints in Singapore, it will be a challenge to build segregated cycling paths everywhere to link up every HDB block to key destinations. This means that, at some point in their journey, cyclists will have to go on footways and roads. The Government must

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confront this reality and tackle the issues related to cycling on footways and roads in a coherent and coordinated way. It should also innovate new ways of creating continuous cycling tracks that do not take up space from either walkways or roads, such as creating long overhead cycling bridges and overhead cycling boulevards. We can draw from the experience of advanced cycling cities and adapt them to our conditions.

In many cycling cities, such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Bogota, where cycling is more established and road traffic is better calmed, cycling on bike lanes on the road is the norm. Shared paths with pedestrians are viewed as the last resort, with segregated cycling paths filling the gaps. Here in Singapore, roads are generally wider, faster and motorists are not conditioned to look out for cyclists. Hence, cyclists, unless they are experienced and confident, consider the use of off-road paths essential.

Tampines is Singapore's first cycling town and, from our own experience, it is clear that the design of cycling networks has to accommodate two major groups of cyclists.

One is novice cyclists – the juniors and the elderly riders. For this group, shared paths with a minimal width of three metres linked to off-road segregated cycling paths is a good solution. As their speed does not go beyond 15 km/hr to 20 km/h, they offer minimal risk to pedestrians. However, a cautious note about shared paths – they should not be considered as easy fixes. Their design is crucial. Poorly designed and poorly signposted paths can make conditions worse for both cyclists and pedestrians. Many footways would need to be widened before they could be converted to shared paths.

The second group of cyclists consists of faster riders who are competent and assertive. They cycle from 20 km/h to 40 km/h. They put a priority on speed for commuting over longer distances. They should use the roads rather than the off-road paths. But how to make our roads safe for the faster cyclists? This is an issue that must be addressed.

Some measures could include traffic calming, protected bike lanes or priority space for cyclists on selected roads and junctions; and effective road signage. Different streets require different solutions, but they must be consistent at the national level. There is no single solution and there is also no single model. Each city has to find its own tailor-made solution according to its geographic, urban and traffic features. Singapore is no different.

One universal principle applies, however: it is this. In developing cycling networks, the designs should be created with the principal aim of preserving cyclist momentum and safety. Apart from a cycling network, it is also important to plan for secure bike parking and to develop better integration with public transport.

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Sir, there are various initiatives implemented in different towns. Their experiments can lead to a national strategy if the right lessons are learnt. If I may give an example, Tampines is the only town which is exempted from the provision in the Road Traffic Act which bans cycling on footways. This exemption was, unfortunately, not part of a great national integrated plan for cycling as a mode of transport. The background of this is that Tampines got this exemption largely because of the speeches I made in Parliament in 2003 and 2005 on the dangers of cycling on roads and the trend of more residents – housewives, students, the elderly – cycling on footways because the roads were just too dangerous. We felt that to force them to brave the risky road conditions would be wrong and to force them to become lawbreakers whenever they ride on footways seemed equally wrong.

This concern was shared by our Tampines Members of Parliament who were equally passionate about the issue. Our Tampines Members of Parliament, grassroots leaders and residents were willing to give it a try to turn Tampines into a cycling town, despite the obvious obstacles. But it was clear to us that, in the longer term, there needs to be a seamless cycling network for Tampines to be a great cycling town. But until that network is built, the ban on cycling on footpaths would be dysfunctional with very poor compliance. So, a code of conduct is required and this was what we set out to achieve.

The trial officially started in 2007, although our groundwork began in 2005. We learnt the hard way, each step of the way. When we legalised cycling on footpaths, we stressed that this was for novice and slower cyclists. The fast and experienced cyclists should go on the roads. Pedestrians have right of way on any shared path. This is the intent. But that is not easy to enforce, given the lack of coordination and clarity among the relevant agencies.

Which agency should take action against reckless cycling on these paths, especially the shared paths? There was to-ing and fro-ing among the relevant agencies, but as timely enforcement is necessary for safe sharing, our Town Council decided to just hire Auxiliary Police Officers to do the job although, strictly speaking, the paths and the laws concerned do not fall under the Town Councils' remit.

Another issue: because cyclists use footways, they naturally join up to pedestrian crossings. In a bid to make the paths and crossings safer for pedestrians, the LTA put up signposts asking cyclists to dismount and push at regular intervals along the paths, especially at pedestrian crossings and bus-stops. These signposts are most assuring to pedestrians but an irritant to cyclists.

MHA says it is not illegal to ride across pedestrian crossings. So, when our volunteer cycling wardens advised cyclists to follow the LTA’s signs to dismount and push, they face the ire of cyclists who argue it is not against the law. But pedestrians who see cyclists ride across them perceive it as a flagrant disregard for LTA's sign to dismount and push. This

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reinforces negative stereotypes of reckless cyclists and also causes some to unfairly question the effectiveness of our cycling wardens. There needs to be greater coordination among the Ministries and agencies on such issues. I am pleased that LTA has piloted a few signalised bike crossings in Tampines and I look forward to more.

Sir, all over Singapore, more cyclists are riding on roads and footpaths. Every so often, people complain about cyclists who disregard the rules by running red lights on roads and speeding on footpaths. We need to address that problem as well and take enforcement action against those who flout the rules and to review our laws to make sure they are updated for the new cycling landscape.

This leads me to my second point on legislation and enforcement. There should be clear rules on footways that have been converted into shared paths, as in Tampines. The rules should require cyclists to give way to pedestrians at all times and prohibit cyclists from cycling two abreast – and these should be actively enforced.

Driving offences, especially those resulting in death or injury of cyclists or pedestrians, should be treated seriously by the Police, prosecutors and judges. Relatively light punitive measures undermine the importance of the motorists' responsibility to ensure the safety of vulnerable users. A case in point: in 2010, a doctor, Teo Tiong Kiat, knocked down two cyclists, Benjamin Mok and Bertram Leong. Teo fled the scene and did not render assistance. Mr Mok, an experienced cyclist, died. The other cyclist was seriously injured. And what was the sentence meted out to Teo? Four weeks in prison and a five-year driving ban. Such cases highlight the need for the penalty and sentencing regime to be reviewed.

Finally, education.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for her views and suggestions and also for her vigorous support for cycling over the years.

Cycling has, indeed, become more popular in Singapore, especially as a mode of transport – the mode share has doubled from 1% in 2011 to 2% in 2013. While there are, indeed, some who cycle relatively long distances to work, most cycling trips are typically to the town centre, school or community facilities. Instead of taking feeder bus services, more commuters are also cycling to MRT stations before continuing their journey to work on the trains.

These trends are encouraging. There is, in fact, strong complementarity between cycling and public transport. More cycling for first- and last-mile and intra-town trips can go some way in helping make public transport more attractive, especially for those who live a little further away from the train station, and also take some load off our feeder services. That is why we have built close to 14,000 bicycle parking lots at all MRT stations island-wide to encourage people to cycle to the MRT stations. And the benefits of cycling go beyond transport. It is a more environmentally-friendly mode of transport and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

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We aim to raise the mode share for cycling further by making cycling safer, more convenient and more comfortable. To do so, we must invest not only in more infrastructure, which we have been doing but, as Ms Ng says, build clear and consistent rules and norms to guide cycling behaviour and do more public education and engagement. Let me recap for Members of the House some of the work that my Ministry and various agencies have been undertaking and some of our further initiatives.

As part of the National Cycling Plan launched in 2010, LTA has been constructing off-road, dedicated cycling path networks in seven HDB towns. Last year, we completed networks in Tampines, Ms Ng's ward, as well as Sembawang. These have been well received and, not surprisingly, the cycling population in these two towns has grown. It is only early days but we have already seen the cycling mode share in Tampines edging above the national average, to about 2.5% today.

Our commitment, as outlined in the 2013 Land Transport Master Plan, is to build cycling path networks in every HDB town by 2030. Many Members of this House and residents have asked if these plans can be expedited. Our current building pace, at 20 km per year, is comparable to Sydney and Copenhagen, cities that are at the vanguard of promoting cycling. Nevertheless, we will review bringing forward the completion of cycling path networks.

The intra-town networks will be integrated with the NParks' Park Connector Networks to form an island-wide off-road cycling path network spanning over 700 km. When this national network is completed, we will be able to cycle from Changi Village to Jurong West!

We will also review the adequacy of bicycle parking facilities at destination areas, such as MRT stations and neighbourhood amenities, as well as near where cyclists live, such as the void decks of HDB flats. Where necessary, we will build more of such and also consider imposing building and development norms.

Second, cyclist safety. Where we can, we will build off-road dedicated paths for cycling and shared paths that separate cyclists from fast-moving vehicles on the roads because these paths provide a safer environment for cyclists of different skill levels and ages. However, given Singapore's limited land space, it will not be possible for us to do this everywhere. And some cyclists may still choose to ride on the roads. We have thus introduced measures to enhance the safety of road cyclists. This includes upgrading all 190 "Cyclists Ahead" signs along roads popular with cyclists, such as those in Upper Changi, Kranji and Upper Thomson, to better alert motorists to the presence of road cyclists. As a result, cycling fatalities have been declining since 2008, even as the number of cyclists has grown.

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That said, there were 15 fatalities in 2013 – too many still. This is why the inter-agency Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Committee (PCSC), which I chair, has been working hard to review and improve road safety for cyclists. Earlier this year, I shared at the Committee of Supply debates that the Committee is designing and implementing a national voluntary cyclist education programme. The curriculum should be ready soon. We hope to propagate this to schools, community centres and foreign worker dormitories.

Third, if we are to encourage more Singaporeans to take up cycling, we need to build clear and consistent rules and norms for cycling conduct and behaviour. Today, the rules and norms, including where we can and cannot cycle and what cyclists have to do when crossing roads and junctions, are not entirely clear to the average person.

In this regard, Tampines has been a wonderful example of what can be done, as cyclists and pedestrians have co-existed within a set of clearly defined rules and evolving norms for sharing space safely.

Its Town Council's by-laws state clearly that cyclists must ride with due regard for the safety of others and give way to pedestrians at all times, amongst others. Volunteers have also initiated a cycling warden scheme since 2007, where wardens patrol the neighbourhoods to educate cyclists on the rules and, if necessary, issue written warnings to errant cyclists. The scheme has grown to about 100 volunteers today and is an excellent example of a ground-up initiative to facilitate cycling. The Tampines example suggests that if the rules are clear, cyclists and pedestrians can share the same space safely and peacefully.

Indeed, we need to start thinking about sharing space between pedestrians and cyclists, if we are to move ahead on cycling. Some degree of accommodation from various stakeholders, including cyclists, will be necessary. For example, we will build dedicated cycling paths and build them as fast as we can. LTA will also implement more signalised bicycle crossings situated away from pedestrian crossings. This will allow cyclists to ride across roads separately from pedestrians without dismounting. But where dedicated cycling paths and signalised bicycle crossings are not yet ready, should we consider the possibility that pedestrians share footpaths and signalised crossings with cyclists? This has to be studied carefully. If so, pedestrians would have absolute right of way and cyclists will be held liable by default for any injury to pedestrians. For the safety of cyclists and other road users, cyclists should dismount at zebra crossings as motorists may not expect them to ride across these crossings at speed. The cycling community must also help to manage the occasional instances of inappropriate and ungracious behaviour.

In the coming months, we will engage the public and various stakeholders, who may have conflicting interests on footpaths and roads, to see if we can come to an agreement on

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a clear and consistent set of cycling rules and norms throughout our island.

In time to come, as our cycling infrastructure and our social norms for shared space mature, I expect cycling to become even more popular. To make it even more accessible, LTA is exploring bicycle sharing in densely populated areas, such as Jurong Lake District and the city centre, and even in cycling-ready towns if there is interest. This would be similar to programmes in New York and London, which are popular with those who do not actually own bicycles. We will embark on a more sustained, widespread campaign on cycling, not just to promote this form of mobility but to educate the public on the dos and don'ts.

Many cities worldwide have embraced cycling as a mode of transport that improves the liveability and sustainability of the urban environment. Inhabitants of these cities have found that cycling offers a high degree of personal mobility, with fewer of the painful trade-offs in land use, environment and quality of living that the traditional, car-centric transport model demands. As we continue to grow as a city, our transport policy must aim to reduce our reliance on private cars. Promoting cycling is a key part of this policy.

I wish to assure the Member that MOT, MND and other agencies are committed to and excited about plans and efforts to make cycling an integral part of our living and mobility environment and we will update our National Cycling Plan to make it even more comprehensive. I look forward to the community and Ms Ng's continued support.

*Question put, and agreed to.*

*Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn."*

Adjourned accordingly at 8.06 pm.

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