Cyclists welcome foldable bicycles on board public transport

Channel NewsAsia 4 Jul 08;

SINGAPORE: Environmentally-conscious commuters are opting to cycle and take public transport over private cars or even taxis.

A new measure by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) now enables cyclists to go that extra mile in reducing their carbon footprint.

Li Pui Ming no longer needs to leave her bicycle outside the train station before she boards a train. That's because a new trial by LTA, introduced on May 24, allows cyclists to bring their foldable bicycles on board during off-peak hours or weekends.

While this is extremely convenient for the housewife, she feels more can be done for working Singaporeans.

She said: "For me, it's okay, because I usually use it during off-peak hours. But for those who go to work, I don't think it's very practical, because during peak hours, they cannot bring it into the MRT."

Before the rule was in place, Li would lock her bicycle outside train stations. However, two of her bicycles were stolen.

These days, being able to bring her bike onto the train means she has free transport from the station to her destination.

Together with transport operators, LTA is running a six-month trial on trains and a three-month trial on buses to see if having these foldable bikes on board will affect operations and other commuters.

Feedback from the public will also be taken into consideration.

For now, at least, there is this low-cost, eco-friendly option for those wanting to do their bit to save the earth. - CNA/vm