Land Transport Authority (LTA), Traffic Police (TP) and the Tampines Grassroots Organisations (GROs) will be conducting a study in the Tampines Town to assess the feasibility of allowing cycling on footways with effect from 27 May 2007. The study will last for one year and end on 30 May 2008. The official launch of this trial will be on 27 May 2007, in conjunction with the Tampines Town Day.

Currently, under Rule 28 of the Road Traffic Rules, enacted in 1981, cycling on footways is prohibited. Like any other vehicles, bicycles are to be ridden on the roads and cyclists are required to abide by all relevant traffic rules and regulations.

LTA, TP and Tampines GROs recognise that societal values and lifestyle norms have changed over time. It has been observed that cycling has become increasingly prevalent, both as a recreational activity as well as a mode of transport for short journeys to the markets, school, MRT stations and workplaces located in the neighbourhood.

During the Committee of Supply debates in 2005, Senior Minister of State for Law & Home Affairs, A/P Ho Peng Kee, in response to a parliamentary question by Tampines MP Ms Irene Ng, said that the issue of whether or not cycling on footways should be allowed would be reviewed. Tampines GRC was identified as a good area for this study as it is a compact town with a large cycling population, and has wider footways as well as well-used park connectors. A Tripartite Committee, co-chaired by LTA, TP and Tampines GROs, was therefore set up to study the feasibility of allowing cycling on footways while ensuring that the safety of other footway users is not compromised.

The Tripartite Committee recognizes that road safety requires a collective approach involving all key stakeholders who represent the common interests and concerns of the various road user groups. Therefore, as part of the review, dialogue sessions with the grassroots from the Tampines Constituency, Tampines Town Council, National Safety Council of Singapore (NSCS), Singapore Action Group for the Elders (SAGE), Singapore Amateur Cycling Association (SACA) and Safe Cycling Task Force (SCTF) were conducted to solicit feedback on their concerns. A set of guidelines on safe riding on footways was developed in consultation with them.

The study will provide the opportunity for communities with differing demands and needs to come together and work out a mutually beneficial solution in sharing limited common space. In addition, the study will help the Committee understand if Singaporeans are generally ready to share the footways. A survey on the perception and attitudes of the residents in Tampines Town will be carried out.

The study will be launched on 27 May 2007 in conjunction with the Tampines Town Day, and conducted over a period of one year. During this period, cycling would be allowed on all footways in Tampines but not in other towns. To protect the safety of pedestrians, cyclists would be required to give precedence to pedestrians, as well as dismount and push their bicycles at places where human traffic would be high. For their own safety, cyclists are also required to dismount and push their bicycles when crossing a road. Parking of bicycles will remain prohibited on footways. Pedestrians will also be urged to share footways with cyclists and to show mutual consideration.

About two weeks before the study, the Tripartite Committee will start conducting a series of public education programmes to increase awareness and promote safe riding on the footways. This will include the dissemination of safe riding guidelines to the residents of Tampines through the various educational outreach channels (e.g., community events) and publicity efforts.

In addition, the Tripartite Committee has worked closely with Changi Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC), Tampines NPC, grassroots from Tampines Constituency and SACA to recruit volunteers as cycling wardens under a Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP). The cycling wardens will be deployed along the footways in Tampines to educate and advise pedestrians and cyclists to share the footways in a safe and gracious manner.

In land-scarce Singapore, the majority of footways are narrow. Sharing of footways between pedestrians and cyclists will require both groups of users to exercise social graciousness and responsibility, with cyclists giving the right of way to pedestrians. Cyclists should cycle slowly on the footways and those who wish to cycle faster should be on the roads.

Cyclists who wish to cycle on the footways during the study period are advised to adhere to the safe riding guidelines. Police will continue to take action against cyclists who ride recklessly, or in a disorderly manner that endangers other footway users.