Faishal Says Road Safety Efforts Must be “Ground-Up” and “Continual” As More People Start Cycling During COVID-19

Cycling can be fun.

Hopping onto your bike and speeding down the road to feel the wind on your face, or simply doing it for exercise can be great.

But have you also ever got frustrated at a cyclist on the road blocking your path? Perhaps even almost colliding into them on the walkways?

All that of that is frustrating, which is why Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim brought up the topic of safety.

Faishal Says Road Safety Efforts Must be “Ground-Up” and “Continual” As More People Start Cycling During COVID-19

Dr Faishal spoke on this issue on Monday (15 Mar) at East Coast Park.

Along with Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) chairman Bernard Tay and representatives from the Traffic Police and Land Transport Authority, they spoke to cyclists and gave out fliers with tips on using bikes responsibly.

He said that road safety efforts would need to be ground-up and continual.

One important point cited was to work closely with the community to help establish safety measures.

“When it is ground-up, you work with the community and they own the safety space and they can co-create it.”

And this is important nowadays, considering that there are a lot more cyclists nowadays because of COVID-19.

This also leads to more cycling-related injuries.

Spreading the Message

As the saying goes: it takes two hands to clap.

Dr Faishal said last month that multiple agencies and groups are going to help spread safety awareness in different areas.

Said agencies will also be coming up with policies and regulations as well.

Mr Tay also noted some incidents in newspaper forum letters on how cyclists and pedestrians weren’t giving way to one another at East Coast Park.

While he feels such mindsets can change, Mr Tay also said that it might take a long time for that to happen.

“Road safety is a marathon. This is one of the reasons why we try to (inculcate) habits at the school level.”

Dr Faishal is confident, however, that if efforts persist, it will all have a positive impact on road safety. This sentiment comes as conflicts between motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians occur more frequently with more people taking to the roads.

The SRSC will also start to use social media more in order to conduct better outreach. Check out this fun Facebook post, for example:

What We Can Do As Individuals

Campaigns and initiatives can certainly help us change our mindset.

However, it all depends on whether you really want to change your way of thinking in the end.

So if you see an elderly uncle or auntie who’s moving slowly, maybe you could dismount your bike and manoeuvre around them instead of forcibly trying to zoom past them.

And if you’re a pedestrian listening to music as you walk, consider lowering the volume. Sometimes cyclists or food delivery riders have to pass, and they’re ringing the bell to get your attention.

In fact, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) actually has a Code of Conduct on how to move about responsibly.

Roads and pathways are public space, so let’s try to make it a little safer for everyone.

Feature Image: Asia Images Group / Shutterstock.com