Have you ever had to stop or give way to cyclists while walking along a footpath when the cycling path was right beside?

Or maybe you were the cyclist in question?

Whichever the case, this piece of news would be relevant to you.

Bicycles and non-motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs) like kick scooters will no longer be allowed on these footpaths from July 2025.

Currently, we have over 600km of cycling paths and connectors, out of which over 20km are built next to footpaths, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

On 14 Aug, LTA said that its target is “to reach 1,300km of cycling paths by 2030” to support the Walk Cycle Ride vision. 

“As our population ages and active mobility grows in popularity for first-mile last-mile journeys, we are also doing more to keep our paths safe, especially for seniors and young children,” it added.

While the progressive change will begin in the last quarter of 2024 to give cyclists and non-motorised PMD users some time to adjust to this requirement, LTA will only start enforcement action from 1 July 2025.

Those caught riding on pedestrian-only paths could be fined up to $2,000 or jailed up to three months, or both.

Conversely, pedestrians are urged to “keep to the Pedestrian-Only Paths for their safety”, but will not face the same penalties if they wander onto the cycling paths.

Some may find this unfair, but then again, that’s life.

So what is allowed and what isn’t?

As of now, bicycles and non-motorised PMDs are allowed (but are not encouraged) on footpaths adjacent to cycling paths.

Personal mobility aids (PMAs) like mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs will still be allowed on these pedestrian-only paths with a speed limit of no more than 6 km/h, which similar to brisk walking speed. 

If you need more examples, non-motorised PMDs include kick scooters, skateboards and unicycles. Basically anything that you can hop on to with your shoes on, since inline skates are excluded from the list.

Why is there a need for such a move?

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat made a Facebook post about this, stating that a key priority is “to ensure safety for all path users, especially pedestrians, including our seniors and young children when they use the footpaths”, and that pedestrians “will have greater peace of mind when walking on Pedestrian-Only Paths.”

He added that with LTA aiming to have 1,300km of cycling paths by 2030, footpaths built next to cycling paths would also double by then, since not all paths can be separated due to “space limitations and site constraints”.

“Some will remain as shared paths, so it is important for everyone to be considerate and pay attention to safety when we use the shared paths, to enhance safety for all path users.”