Motormouth: Cyclists on the road should pay road tax

If cyclists want to make a self-righteous claim of legitimacy as road users in Singapore, they should just pay road tax.

[Story by guest columnist Tan Ah Lin]

This could moderate the perennial battle between motorists and cyclists, each group staking their claim on what they feel is their fair share of public space.

Cyclists are entitled to their space, the question is where? As motorists, we'd probably say anywhere but in our lanes. This is because we have had one too many encounters with cyclists who try and squeeze dangerously between our cars and the kerb, and cyclists who are “cars” one moment, “pedestrians” the next, switching from road to pavement wherever they encounter a red traffic light. 

Then there is the driver’s dilemma when approaching a left turn - do I trail patiently behind the cyclist, or should I try to overtake but risk missing my turn or cutting too closely to the cyclist in question?  

The final straw is in the form of cyclists who pedal through pedestrian crossings without even stopping, when the law requires them to dismount and wheel their bicycles across. Maybe they consider themselves pedestrians-on-wheels.

I used to think that hardcore cyclists with serious equipment would be more enlightened when it comes to cycling etiquette and road safety, as compared to neighbourhood cyclists in their shorts and slippers, who mainly use bicycles to run errands. 

But I was proven wrong when I saw one of these professional-looking types, adorned in full safety gear and riding an expensive-looking bicycle, weave his way perilously through crowded road traffic. 

However, relegating cyclists to the pavements is not a solution either. Most of our pavements are just wide enough for two persons walking side-by-side.

Imagine the safety hazard to pedestrians when they have to duck out of the way of approaching cyclists, some of whom terrorise pedestrians by repeatedly ringing the bells on their handlebars, when they are the ones flouting the law by cycling faster than 10km/h on the pavements in the first place.

So, not the roads, neither the pavements. Then where? Some people have suggested that we emulate the Dutch example, where everyone has their own designated lanes - cars, bicycles, and pedestrians. 

Having experienced the system first-hand, I must admit that it works. In the Dutch context, that is, where space is not a constraint, where there is a sizeable and responsible cycling community, and where the climate is temperate and cool. 

Here in Singapore, our country’s compactness may seem to make cycling a viable alternative to motorised modes of transport, but we are unlikely to see its widespread adoption due to the practical constraints of our hot and humid weather. Imagine having to shower and change upon arrival at the office every day, and we ladies may even have to redo our hair and reapply our make-up.

Bicycles are not "bigger" than cars, but some cyclists ride like big idiots.

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