S’pore racer Shane Ang shares ideas on curbing errant road cyclists

Singapore — One of Singapore’s most prolific racers, Shane Ang, touches on the issue of errant road cyclists, suggesting an idea that could address the problem permanently.

On Sunday (Oct 31), Facebook page ROADs.sg shared a video by Motorist, featuring Mr Ang and his thoughts on road cyclists.

“Rather than saying it’s a topic, I personally feel it’s more of a problem,” said Mr Ang at the beginning of the video.

Nowadays, on a daily basis, more and more videos are uploaded on social media, be it cyclists running the red light, riding recklessly on roads or knocking into pedestrians, or quarrelling with drivers, he noted.

He asked a burning question that has been frequently mentioned on social media: “Should cyclists be allowed on the road?”

“If they are allowed to do so, is it time to do something?” he added.

“Yes, they may be reckless, they may do something stupid… But do they deserve death?” he asked, citing netizens comments on errant cyclists involved in road accidents.

He shared a message to the drivers out there, “Just see cyclists as children. Maybe they are really ignorant about what’s right or wrong, and safe or not. They may not even know that before turning, they should check their blind spots.”

However, he mentioned cyclists who are also drivers and aware of road rules but still ride in such dangerous ways… “they might deserve the criticisms highlighted online,” said Mr Ang, citing the term “natural selection.”

There is no system, said Mr Ang. He explained that even a young teenager could cycle on the road because there is no system to tell if an individual can tell right from wrong and what’s safe or not.

“Why is it that we drivers and motorcyclists, before we collect our driving licence, we have to sit through videos of road accidents and fatal accidents to scare us and let us know that operating a vehicle is dangerous and to be careful.”

But there are no videos shown to road cyclists, nor any licence or courses for them, he added.

He noted that cyclists are in a more vulnerable position compared to motorists when on the road.

“Therefore, I feel the biggest problem is there isn’t any system in place in Singapore. No licensing or courses for cyclists to learn road etiquette.”

Mr Ang understands that even if such measures were in place, there might not be 100 per cent compliance.

“But at least the rules need to be written in black and white.”

“Trust me. You don’t have to employ a lot of Traffic Police to help enforce the rules because Singapore has nothing but busybodies,” he said, illustrating that errant cyclists would still be caught if bicycles had plate numbers.

Mr Ang clarified that his statements aren’t directed at those who cycle for work purposes or to maintain their livelihood.

“Some people, who ride as a form of exercise, are really asking for a scolding,” he said.

Mr Ang wondered why road cyclists choose to ride along Yishun Dam’s already insufficient two-lane road at rush hour when those coming from work just want to get home.

“From two lanes, it now becomes one lane, and the bottleneck creates a traffic jam to Seletar.”

“We just want parity. If you want drivers or motorists to abide by strict rules, the same rules should apply to all road users,” said Mr Ang. /TISG

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Road cyclists ‘awaiting tragedy’ by taking up too much space on single-lane roads