BICYCLE LANES

Mr Noris Ong Chin Guan asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology if his Ministry intends to improve the roads in Singapore, especially in newer housing estates, to cater for bicycle lanes, so that more residents can adopt the healthy lifestyle of cycling when they need to travel short distances within their estates, instead of relying on cars or feeder buses.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: In land scarce Singapore, road space is limited and should be used for the efficient movement of people, goods and services. Thus far, we have only set aside dedicated lanes on our roads for public buses. This is because buses provide an efficient form of mass transportation. Bicycles, on the other hand, do not offer such efficiencies. We must also recognise that our hot and humid weather makes it unlikely for cycling to become a major means of transportation. Hence, to provide dedicated bicycle lanes on public roads will not be an efficient use of our limited road space.

However, we do recognise that cycling is a good form of exercise, and in this regard, we have been providing cycling tracks and facilities for our residents. The Park Connector Network being developed by the National Parks Board is one such example. This is a network of jogging cum cycling tracks that links our major parks and nature sites. They also link urban and residential areas, providing convenient routes to places such as MRT stations, bus stops and markets. In addition, we have also provided bicycle stands at MRT stations to cater to commuters who want to cycle between their homes and transport nodes such as MRT stations.

Town Councils may provide cycling tracks within their HDB estates. The Pasir Ris Town Council, for instance, is providing for cycling tracks within its estate.