I grew up
cycling to school. Before long, my school was relocated to a neighbouring island
because Shell built a refinery next door. With the change, getting to school took
awhile. I first had to cycle to a jetty, lock my bike, take a sampan (a small
rowing wooden boat) across a 150m water-gap, walked a long bridge and then another
15 minutes to get to school. Muscle-assist commute edged for life!
But when it comes to private vehicles, the situation becomes emotionally complex. Every citizen in an effluent society would invariably aspire to own their own wheels, cost notwithstanding. Our present mechanisms (COE, ERP) to control car population (another COE tweak on 30May12), while working, have to step up to keep abreast of changing circumstances. One possible game changer is based on the principle of "use more, pay more"; consumption based. This concept is not new and I am hopeful various supporting technologies will form an equitable solution soon. Political will to implement is another story.
While we cannot curtail insatiable appetite to own cars, we can make it expensive to USE a private vehicle, calibrated to time of travel. Last Saturday, I almost had a seizure paying $9 for parking over an hour at Four Seasons Hotel. For the rest of the day, I hitched 2 free rides, took the MRT and it was all good. I still maintain our MRT cabins are usually freezing cold.
With sky high COEs, it creates potential resentment as the scheme (unintentionally) “sided” the rich as they can afford, whatever the price. Concurrently, it hits SMEs negatively to those who may have to acquire new commercial vehicles as part of conducting business. It is a dilemma and goes to show public policy has to keep in tandem with changing circumstances.
I argued that we should not wait for cars to be taken off roads before we act on other options. Instead, we should start immediately, recognise and embrace an eco-system comprising of multiple pathways including the present (MRT, buses, taxis, private vehicles and motorcycles) AND encouraging other options (be it bicycles, e-bikes, walking).
Meanwhile, continuing efforts to tighten the noose around private cars (be it higher car park charges, COE, ERP and fewer car parks in town) will go some way to help reshape travel behaviour.
Whether we like it or not, many of our transient and foreign workers are already cycling to work (eg shipyard workers at Sembawang, Changi, Tuas), expats down to business district and some of my civil service friends do cycle to work despite today’s limitations. We are blessed to have 200 km of park connectors, our pavements are wide (increasingly redesigned to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists in various towns) and our lesser-vehicle roads are safe.
We should encourage, promote and support cycling as one of multiple pathways to commute to work. Increasingly, cycling is gaining traction in most forward looking cities. We must not stand still; suffer from analysis paralysis (as Thatcher would put it), twiddle our thumbs and wait for a “perfect solution” of mere MRTs and buses. We should start now, let it evolve and through time, what is availably good can only get better. Sometimes, we are too hush on ourselves, searching and researching for one "silver bullet"!
Last September, I discovered this hybrid mode on transport using foldable bicycles in London; another pathway. It addresses both the first mile (getting to the train station) and the last mile (from disembarkation point to final destination). I was pleasantly surprised that one is allowed to bring on board a foldable bicycle onto the London underground at any time of day.
The big-do is that it takes up no real estate. Cyclists rides to train station, folds the bike, hops onboard, alight and rides to destination point, folds the bike and tugs it under a table. Voila!
Understandably, our priority now is to get our train system running reliably once again. Furthermore, a common gripe amongst commuters is that our trains are already too packed. So to completely copy the London model will be a difficult sell.
Instead, we should be bold enough to create our own version; fine-tune boarding time. The morning MRT peak hours are from 7:30am to 9:00am. I would argue (from past field observations) to allow foldables on board MRT from start of day operation until 7:30am. Then after, we impose a "black out" period which disallows boarding from 7:30am to 9:00am. After 9:00am, we can again allow foldables on board.
Surely the Brits are not stupid or are we unimaginative? Presently, one is allowed to carry foldables on board MRT after 9:30am. It's another way of saying we do allow, but you still cannot make it to work on time! For now, there are no restrictions of foldables on board MRT on weekends. It's good.
A more recent option is that of an eco-friendly e-bike or a pedal-assist bike. This is gaining popularity in many places. It's another mode of transport which we should keep an open mind and evaluate. Locally, these are quite prevalent especially within intra-town. Surely, some do behave like a*sho@%s. The following article talks about e-bikes and its promise. That’s another long story…
FTR: I am
both a motorist and a recreational cyclist. I ride the MRT frequently and take the
bus once a while. Oh yes, I walk too.
“The popularity of cycling is totally surging,” said Jennifer Klausner, the executive director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. “What I see is more and more people than ever before on bicycles, at all hours of the day and night. It’s taken a while for the city to catch up.”
It was
documented in 1854 that (Alfred Wallace notes) back then, the population can
expect at least 1 fatality from tiger attacks every day. The last tiger was
shot along Old Choa Chu Kang Road on 26 Oct, 1930. Fast forward to modern
Singapore and we have over 1 million vehicles on our roads. Now the situation
is such: mǎ lù rú hǔ kǒu (roughly translated, roads are like tiger's mouth).
It’s not
the roads but the 1 million “tigers” on the prowl that is scary. A handful gets
pissed, and then drives like a maniac endangering other road users. Then there
are those who obliviously steam-rolled over cyclists on roads (at least 4 in
the past 12 months).
Still,
motor vehicles are indispensable. In land scarce Singapore, buses, MRT and
taxis form a large part of public commute.
But when it comes to private vehicles, the situation becomes emotionally complex. Every citizen in an effluent society would invariably aspire to own their own wheels, cost notwithstanding. Our present mechanisms (COE, ERP) to control car population (another COE tweak on 30May12), while working, have to step up to keep abreast of changing circumstances. One possible game changer is based on the principle of "use more, pay more"; consumption based. This concept is not new and I am hopeful various supporting technologies will form an equitable solution soon. Political will to implement is another story.
While we cannot curtail insatiable appetite to own cars, we can make it expensive to USE a private vehicle, calibrated to time of travel. Last Saturday, I almost had a seizure paying $9 for parking over an hour at Four Seasons Hotel. For the rest of the day, I hitched 2 free rides, took the MRT and it was all good. I still maintain our MRT cabins are usually freezing cold.
With sky high COEs, it creates potential resentment as the scheme (unintentionally) “sided” the rich as they can afford, whatever the price. Concurrently, it hits SMEs negatively to those who may have to acquire new commercial vehicles as part of conducting business. It is a dilemma and goes to show public policy has to keep in tandem with changing circumstances.
Last week
end, I was with a senior civil servant. He knows I am pro-bicycle. He nudged me
to be openly "anti-car". He argued that only then will bicycles gain
currency. I asserted that cars will be here to stay and we cannot wish for them
to disappear anytime soon. While traffic management is complex, I believe that continuous improvements in existing schemes coupled with better defined pricing mechanisms,
we can curtail the USE of cars especially during peak hours.
I argued that we should not wait for cars to be taken off roads before we act on other options. Instead, we should start immediately, recognise and embrace an eco-system comprising of multiple pathways including the present (MRT, buses, taxis, private vehicles and motorcycles) AND encouraging other options (be it bicycles, e-bikes, walking).
Meanwhile, continuing efforts to tighten the noose around private cars (be it higher car park charges, COE, ERP and fewer car parks in town) will go some way to help reshape travel behaviour.
Where
possible, a can of paint here and there to allocate bicycle lanes should be implemented. Doing so, we generate awareness, heighten alertness and signal motorists
that cyclists do have equal right to use the roads. For now, not a single drop
of paint is use for this purpose; only tainted red blood from mangled cyclists every few months.
Whether we like it or not, many of our transient and foreign workers are already cycling to work (eg shipyard workers at Sembawang, Changi, Tuas), expats down to business district and some of my civil service friends do cycle to work despite today’s limitations. We are blessed to have 200 km of park connectors, our pavements are wide (increasingly redesigned to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists in various towns) and our lesser-vehicle roads are safe.
We should encourage, promote and support cycling as one of multiple pathways to commute to work. Increasingly, cycling is gaining traction in most forward looking cities. We must not stand still; suffer from analysis paralysis (as Thatcher would put it), twiddle our thumbs and wait for a “perfect solution” of mere MRTs and buses. We should start now, let it evolve and through time, what is availably good can only get better. Sometimes, we are too hush on ourselves, searching and researching for one "silver bullet"!
Furthermore,
we have many more good things lined up in the years to come as we add on the Rail
Corridor and the Round-Island-Route. These will further extend and enhance our
cycling networks making most places accessible by wheels.
Last September, I discovered this hybrid mode on transport using foldable bicycles in London; another pathway. It addresses both the first mile (getting to the train station) and the last mile (from disembarkation point to final destination). I was pleasantly surprised that one is allowed to bring on board a foldable bicycle onto the London underground at any time of day.
The big-do is that it takes up no real estate. Cyclists rides to train station, folds the bike, hops onboard, alight and rides to destination point, folds the bike and tugs it under a table. Voila!
Our local
practice purely addresses the first mile (ride to the train station), park your
bicycle (takes up real estate, bloody messy and is a graveyard of unclaimed
bikes) and risk theft. Then after, it assumes you walk to your final
destination after you alight. If your final destination is afar, you need a
second bike (pray it's not stolen!) and then another part of parking lot at your work place.
In short, it doesn’t work.
Understandably, our priority now is to get our train system running reliably once again. Furthermore, a common gripe amongst commuters is that our trains are already too packed. So to completely copy the London model will be a difficult sell.
Instead, we should be bold enough to create our own version; fine-tune boarding time. The morning MRT peak hours are from 7:30am to 9:00am. I would argue (from past field observations) to allow foldables on board MRT from start of day operation until 7:30am. Then after, we impose a "black out" period which disallows boarding from 7:30am to 9:00am. After 9:00am, we can again allow foldables on board.
Surely the Brits are not stupid or are we unimaginative? Presently, one is allowed to carry foldables on board MRT after 9:30am. It's another way of saying we do allow, but you still cannot make it to work on time! For now, there are no restrictions of foldables on board MRT on weekends. It's good.
A more recent option is that of an eco-friendly e-bike or a pedal-assist bike. This is gaining popularity in many places. It's another mode of transport which we should keep an open mind and evaluate. Locally, these are quite prevalent especially within intra-town. Surely, some do behave like a*sho@%s. The following article talks about e-bikes and its promise. That’s another long story…
Battery-Swapping for Electric
Bikes & Scooters http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=battery-swapping-for-electric-bikes-2012-05
In
conclusion, while we figure out ways to manage car population, we should
expeditiously explore other avenues to make for a greener journey and a less
congested city where only cars seemingly have right of way.
Other Information
“The popularity of cycling is totally surging,” said Jennifer Klausner, the executive director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. “What I see is more and more people than ever before on bicycles, at all hours of the day and night. It’s taken a while for the city to catch up.”
Joel
Epstein, a mass transit advocate, said traffic here had led him to use his
bicycle more often. “L.A. is a very complicated kind of place,” Mr. Epstein
said. “A lot of people are going to commute by car forever. But I think
bikes are a piece of the puzzle, just like mass transit is and just like
walking is.”
In Austin, A Street
Festival Offers A Vision of Modern City Planning By David Wogan
“Modern
city design calls for less emphasis on the car, and more on walking, cycling,
use of green spaces, and safety. The car-centric model isn’t cutting it any
more. But modernizing the urban core takes a lot of time, money, and political
will – an annular eclipse of public policy”.
Why
there is an urgent need for local cyclists to have a voice?
Cyclists unfortunately do not
have a voice on our roads. Read on. On 26 May 2012, a lorry driver steam-rolled
and killed a cyclist along Changi Coast Road. A medical doctor was recently
sentenced to 4 weeks jail and banned from driving for 5 years for running into
2 cyclists (1 died). He scoots off only to return to try retrieve his number
plate.
Last December, a 41 year-old
sales director was knocked down in a hit-and-run situation along Changi Coast
Road. He survived with a fractured spine and two cracks in his pelvis. It is
going to be a long recovery.
On May 19, 2011, Ms Kirsten Koh was cycling home with her
best friend and house mate Orla along Mandai Road when a collision with a
lorry, changed her life forever.
Ms Koh fractured both ankles and femurs. Her pelvis was shattered. Her left
shoulder, fibula and shin bones were broken. The doctors told her parents to
prepare for the worst. She went on to have 19 operations totaling more than 80
hours, needed 5 litres of blood transfusions and 60 stitches. She was
bed-ridden for 2 1/2 months. Recently, she completed walking 42km at the
Sundown marathon.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788992.html
