Cycling towards a more liveable, greener Singapore

Straits Times Forum 11 Jul 09;

THE problem with current efforts to promote a 'green' culture is that they are often weak, isolated 'educational' attempts which pay mere lip service to environmental conservation. More targeted incentives are needed to influence people's behaviour in more substantial ways.

But saving Planet Earth should not be done in a vacuum: Environment-friendly behaviour need not be economically inefficient. One pertinent example lies in transport and urban planning.

Is public transport really the panacea to all our woes?

Two service quality indicators in public transport are journey time (compared to driving) and perceived comfort levels. According to the Land Transport Authority, we employ a 'hub and spoke' system where public feeder buses ferry commuters to transport hubs like MRT stations.

But to cover a short distance (say under 5km) to Pasir Ris MRT station, it makes no sense to spend up to 20 minutes (waiting time, journey, intermediate stops) on a bus ride to the train station, especially if the train journey to town takes only 20 minutes. It would be cheaper, faster, healthier and more comfortable if more people chose to cycle to train stations instead. SBS Transit can also save on running those bus routes. Buses have a carbon footprint too.

The problem is, we do not have a culture of cycling. In fact, cyclists are the nemesis of drivers on the roads (and vice versa) - it is extremely dangerous to cycle on the road in high traffic conditions. Staircases and overhead bridges are the bane of cyclists.

But these are not insurmountable infrastructural problems. Comprehensive bicycle lanes and bike grooves in staircases could be a solution.

In the Netherlands, bicycle lanes 'shadow' almost every road, and bicycle parking stands are found almost everywhere - they are a whole traffic system unto themselves.

My suggestion is more modest - perhaps we could build bicycle lanes along major roads which connect estates to their respective transport hubs, so the bus 'spokes' in our public transport system are replaced by their bicycle equivalents. We can then focus more on building transit capacity between transport hubs (more direct bus services to town and so on).

Building more roads and expressways stimulates and increases vehicular demand (but not necessarily reducing congestion). Similarly, building bicycle lanes would serve as a strong incentive for Singaporeans to bike and decrease vehicular traffic. Singaporeans love their cars - people drive even if the destination is a five-minute walk away. We have to make it as easy, if not easier, for Singaporeans to own, use and park bicycles.

We should also think in terms of improving the quality and liveability of our public spaces - a current theme among contemporary urban planners in the West. In addition to solving our transport problems, non-motorised transport modes allow pedestrians and cyclists to 'stop and smell the roses'. Together, this can help make Singapore a more liveable city.

Teo Yu Chou