SINGAPORE: All bicycles used on public paths and roads should have brakes installed, the Active Mobility Advisory Panel said on Wednesday (Dec 30) in its recommendations submitted to the Transport Minister.
If implemented, the proposed rule will mainly affect fixed-gear bicycles, as well as bicycle motorcross (BMX) bicycles used for cycling sports.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThese make up the majority of specialised bicycles that have one handbrake or no brakes at all, the advisory panel noted.
Under the proposed rule, such bicycles must have at least one handbrake installed when used on paths and roads.
[h=3]READ: Singapore sees cycling boom amid COVID-19, with increased ridership and bicycle sales[/h]“This requirement should apply to all bicycles uniformly, for clarity and ease of enforcement,” said the advisory panel.
AdvertisementAdvertisementSport bicycles can continue to be used without brakes in controlled environments such as pump tracks and skate parks, it added.
NOVICE CYCLISTS
The review was partly triggered by fixed-gear bicycles, said the advisory panel, citing a fatal incident in January when a 13-year-old girl fell six storeys at a car park after losing control of her bicycle.
“While cycling down the ramp in a multi-storey carpark, a cyclist fell over the railing to her death because she was unable to stop her fixed-gear bicycle,” said the panel.
AdvertisementIt added that it engaged the Singapore Cycling Federation, representatives from the cycling community, technical experts and retailers to better understand the usage of specialised bicycles.
“For fixed-gear bicycles, the panel learnt that it is difficult, particularly for novice cyclists, to stop a fixed-gear bicycle effectively without handbrakes,” said the panel in its report.
“Although these bicycles could have handbrakes installed, owners tended not to do so as it would be perceived as cooler, and had lower maintenance costs.”
[h=3]READ: Plan to expand bicycle paths welcomed, but more needed to encourage Singapore's cycling vision[/h]As for BMX bicycles, the panel found that these were typically used in controlled environments such as skate or cycling parks, and were generally not used for commutes because of their single gear and small wheels.
“Brake regulations would affect BMX user groups differently and the future take-up of cycling sports,” it said.
The panel added that it would work with the Government to monitor whether the current practice of conventional bicycles being equipped with two handbrakes would change with the proposed rule.
There is currently no minimum requirement for bicycle brakes, while the weight, width and speed of bicycles used on public paths are already regulated, noted the panel.
NO NEW INSURANCE REGULATIONS
The advisory panel said it had also been considering the issue of compensation for victims of accidents involving active mobility devices, including third-party liability insurance (TPLI).
TPLI is already mandatory for commercial riders using all types of active mobility devices, with the rule coming into effect earlier this month.
The panel on Wednesday recommended against imposing new regulations to make TPLI mandatory for non-commercial users of active mobility devices, given the current lack of affordable and easily available TPLI products.
[h=3]READ: Commentary - Can we co-exist with PMDs? Yes, but we need to take a different path[/h]The high cost of such insurance products, especially when compared to the cost of active mobility devices, will deter many non-commercial users from taking up these transport modes, it said.
The panel also cited recent changes to the active mobility landscape, including significant improvement in path safety.
It said it would continue to study the issue and work with the insurance industry to develop affordable TPLI for non-commercial riders and encourage more take-up of such insurance.
Singapore has seen “improvements in path safety, with more abiding by our active mobility rules and regulations and code of conduct”, said panel member and Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim on Wednesday.
“I am especially encouraged by the recent introduction of mandatory third-party liability insurance for commercial active mobility device users, which gives path users greater protection and peace of mind,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“This is progress,” he said, adding that the panel will strive to keep rules and guidelines relevant while being conscious of their impact on the community.
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