No summons yet to cyclists for violating group length

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s Traffic Police have yet to issue any summons to cyclists for flouting rules on cycling group length since the rule took effect on 1 January 2022.

They told CNA on Monday (8 May) that 1,089 summons were issued to errant cyclists between January 2022 and March 2023. These were for offences such as riding a bicycle on a road without wearing a suitable helmet securely, not riding in an orderly manner, and failing to stop at a red light.

The Ministry of Transport had announced in 2021 that from January 2022, the size of cycling groups on the roads will be limited to five cyclists in a single file, or 10 cyclists when riding two abreast on roads where they are permitted to do so.

This limit was introduced due to space constraints on Singapore roads.

The rule came into the spotlight after an accident in April that left a cyclist in hospital with a minor brain bleed. The injured cyclist’s wife wrote on Facebook that a “peloton of crazy cyclists” caused the collision with her husband.

Amid concerns raised by road cyclists about the practicality of the rule, the Traffic Police said they have yet to issue any summons for flouting the cycling group length rule, according to CNA.

They added that they would continue working with Land Transport Authority to educate cyclists on the rule about cycling group length.

A police spokesperson said, “(Traffic Police) will not hesitate to take firm action against egregious cyclists who endanger other road users by cycling dangerously on the roads.”

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