Tan Shi Hui, Author at Goody Feed

Are you a cyclist, and if you are, do you know that there are cycling laws in Singapore? Since November 2019, we all can walk on the Singapore pathway without worrying about speeding PMD banging into us because PMD was finally banned. Finally, we don’t need to listen to loud Xinyao song blasting from miles away. While we feel safer on the pathway now, drivers now don’t feel safer as more bicycles are now on the roads. Although most cyclists in Singapore actually follow the rules, there are still a few who ride like they own the road. But do you know that according to the law, riders must signal when they are slowing down? Additionally, do you know that cyclists also cannot cycle side-by-side on the road like they’re dating? Here are more cyclist rules in Singapore that no cyclist follows because nobody knows about it until now. If you prefer to watch us talking about these rules instead, here's a video we've done on this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?vFCsxVKKQfZU Cyclists must use the cycling lane According to Section 7, Paragraph 6 of the Road Traffic (Bicycle) Rules in the Road Traffic Act under Chapter 276, Section 140, "When a bicycle lane is provided on part of a road, no bicycle, power‑assisted bicycle, trishaw or tricycle shall be used on any other part of the roadway." In short, when there’s a cycling lane, the cyclist must use the cycling lane and not the road. With more cycling lanes being built in Singapore, there’s no reason to see cyclists drifting on the roads in the future. Riding Side-by-side not allowed According to the road traffic rules, cyclists cannot ride side-by-side like they’re in a Korean drama unless they’re overtaking. Cycling Safely There are a few specific rules when it comes to cycling safety: Do not ride anywhere except the very left of a road Do not ride against the flow of traffic However, some rules are very vague such as riders should ride in an “orderly manner and with due regard for the safety of others.” We like to believe that that means cyclists should obey the red and green man and go only when the traffic light turns green. Basically, apply some common sense and don’t endanger other’s lives when cycling. Signalling Yes, you'd be shocked at this. According to Section 5 of the Road Traffic (Bicycle Rules) Rules, cyclists should signal when turning just like how drivers do. Do note that the hand signals are different from the signals you learn on your driving tests for Class 3 or Class 3A. How different? Take a look here: Image: sso.agc.gov.sg Lights on Bicycles Do you know that you need to install various lights and a reflector on your bicycle before you cycle at night? You are actually not supposed to ride one if you don’t have these lights. So, what light do you need? There must be a white light at the front of the bicycle, and red light, or a red reflector, at the back of the bicycle. Helmets If you ride on the road with a passenger (pillion), both you and your passenger need to wear helmets. It can be any helmet, including the army helmet. So, make sure you’ve one with you if you intend to go for a romantic riding session with your bae. Do note, even if you ride alone, you still need a helmet. PAB (E-Bikes) have another set of rules All the rules mentioned earlier are in the Road Traffic Act, Chapter 276, Section 140, which is the Road Traffic (Bicycle) Rules for riding a bicycle, power-assisted bicycle, trishaw or tricycle on a road. There’s another set of rules for power-assisted bicycles, more commonly known as e-bikes. This is a set of rules to ensure that e-bikes are safe and also safe to use, as the speed limit of the e-bikes, requirements of the e-bikes and whatnot. Also, soon, you might need to pass a theory test to ride an e-bike soon. With that, I’m sure that you’ve realized some cyclists have been breaking every single rule here in Singapore. This is why some people are suggesting that all bicycles be registered so errant cyclists can be taken to task while innocent cyclists who follow the rules to a T wouldn’t be discriminated against. Featured Image: Saranya Phu akat / Shutterstock.com (Image is for illustration purpose only)