SINGAPORE: Fines were meted out to 32 cyclists for flouting the group size rule during recent joint enforcement operations by the Traffic Police and the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
These were conducted on two consecutive Sundays, on Jul 28 and Aug 4.
“During the enforcement operations, Traffic Police and LTA officers also conducted education outreach to raise awareness on cycling rules and guidelines,” the authorities said in a joint media release on Tuesday (Aug 13).
Cyclists on Singapore’s roads must keep to groups of no more than five bicycles in length, which means a maximum of five cyclists if they are riding in single file or 10 cyclists if riding two abreast.
Cycling two abreast is allowed on roads with two or more lanes.
They have to ride in single file on single-lane roads and in bus lanes during the stipulated hours.
Cyclists caught breaking the group size rule can be fined S$150 (US$113).
“This higher composition fine amount was raised with effect from Jan 1, 2022, to improve road safety and applies to those who break other existing cycling rules,” said the authorities.
This includes failure to stop at red lights, cycling on expressways, and riding abreast of another cyclist along single-lane roads or within bus lanes during bus lane operational hours.
The group size rule was introduced at the start of 2022 after a review of the rules for road cycling.
It followed a rise in the popularity of cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was accompanied by a spike in the number of traffic accidents involving bicycles.
The Traffic Police and LTA said on Tuesday that they will continue their enforcement operations against errant cyclists and “will not hesitate to take action against them”.
