Home > SG: Life in a dot

24-hours bus-bicycle lanes for Singapore?

• bic_cherry

  28 Nov 17, 05:58

  24-hours bus-bicycle lanes are necessary for optimal road infrastructure use and a more livable Singapore.
  
  Issues:
  1) Sedentary lifestyle results in diabetes because lack of exercise results in reduced metabolism, caloric excess state and thus glucose overload state aka diabetes. Diabetes is associated with blindness, kidney dialysis, amputations, stroke, heart disease which will attract stratospheric medical and nursing care cost upwards of S$66billion p.a. by 2030. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/elderly-health-costs-to-rise-tenfold-by-2030-report 
  2) There will be increased need for 2 wheel transport to deliver e-commerce goods, food delivery (UBER eats, deliveroo etc) and increased dockless rental bikes use 24hours/day: failure to facilitate night time deliveries by bicycle will only lead to more daytime road congestion/ higher delivery costs if costlier motorised delivery options are used. Currently, roads in day are congested and UNSAFE at night despite very low vehicle traffic due to a few inconsiderate motorist who love high speed racing (even overtaking on the left), and drunk drivers veering from left to right across all lanes: placing cyclists lives in grave danger despite a very much empty road.
  3) Increased aged population, terrorism threat, lithium battery gadget use means more need for Home Team (ambulance, fire, police) vehicle use. 24hrs public transport lanes aka bus-bicycle lanes would allow such uniformed public servants rapid and efficient deployment to the site of action.
  4) More space to park dockless rental bicycles, electric kick scooters and multiple electric wheelchair users and increased population will make footpaths over congested so some transfer of cyclist and electric bicycles to the road 24hrs a day is a sensible policy option.
  pict source: http://lovecycling.net/projects/busbike-lane/ 
  
  Solutions :
  All privately owned buses, cars, commercial vehicles etc will not be allowed to use the 24hours bus-bicycle lanes except with special permission (e.g. YOG/ SEA games duties etc) and all public buses, Home Team/ vehicles granted bus-bicycle lane use shall be equipped with tamper-proof continuous video recording cameras whenever in operation so that all traffic accidents and complaints of dangerous / inconsiderate driving can be properly investigated by the traffic police and where necessary, penalties served.
  
  Bicycles may cycle 2 abreast only at night and during off peak bus operational hours. During the day/ at peak bus lane operating hours, cyclist must only travel in single file except when overtaking.
  
  Bus lanes should also be wide enough for buses to easily and safely overtake cyclist cycling in single file. Over time, buses and cyclist will be able to coordinate any zig zaging where necessary: across each other's path as buses need to keep left to enter bus lanes and overtake on the right hand side, however this challenge can be safely overcome with public bus driving tests incorporating BOTH a cycling and bus driving component such that whilst a particular driver is being tested, the rest of the bus driver wannabe candidates will be on bicycle to simulate the proper bus-bicycle overtaking procedures. Buses also need not rush to meet strict arrival schedules since anyone impatient with traffic can always hire a dockless rental bicycle and whiz through the crowd; only timely bus departure from the terminus should be monitored. Users of 2 wheelers on public roads should all wear helmets.
  
  A number of traffic police and LTA staff would cycle to work/ patrol the streets on bicycle with video recording (24 hrs patrolling etc) and issue summons to errant cyclist who cycle abreast during bus lane peak hours, bus captains with reckless driving behaviors and any other unauthorized vehicles which travel on bus lanes at ANY time of the day since bus-bicycle lanes would be operational 24hours.
  
  Hopefully, with bus-bicycle lanes fully implemented, road traffic will be better spaced out across the 24hour period, the war against global warming and diabetes would be more than just lip service and Singapore will be a healthier, safer, greener and livelier place for all to live and work in.
  
  PS: Bus and bicycle sharing lanes are nothing new and exists in many other countries too: 
  http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/lanes/bikebus.htm

• bic_cherry

  28 Nov 17, 12:53

  Vulpix (HWZ) wrote

  genie47 wroteBeen doing that. At first when a bus starts its right turn signal and I'm coming in fast, I slowed down but now I don't. Bus drivers actually give way to you as a cyclist as compared to "MY CAR IS VERY BIG" mentality drivers.
  
  You go at around 28-32 kph, the bus drivers can see that and will wait for you to pass. They rather pass you later.
  
  Remember to thumbs up, smile, wave or nod to them as you pass.

  
  Then all the people in the bus cursing at you. :s13:

  
  People riding public bus have the responsibility to make time for delays due to traffic jams, unpredictable crowding, system faults and breakdowns, mass terrorism events, smelly co-passengers, but enjoy public transportation at a gahmen SUBSIDISED rate. If they are upset about public buses arriving late/terrorism threat/system breakdowns, they can always pick up a bicycle and start peddling instead. Cyclist do NOT receive any gahmen transport subsidy and in fact serving NATIONAL SERVICE by keeping fit in WAR AGAINST DIABETES (and low carbon emissions transportation), so bus-bicycle lanes are their ONLY implicit public subsidy. Instead of dysfunctionally raising their own blood pressure whilst riding a bus in heavy traffic , bus passengers should lower it by experiencing a self-determined life of cycling and controling one's own destiny since the harder on peddles, the faster one arrives, and the richer (save $on transport) and healthier, and satisfied (being a responsibile low carbon emissions, healthier citizen) one gets in the process.

• bic_cherry

  5 Dec 17, 09:55

  Tangsen wrote  Good luck in SG weather

  
  Depends on physical condition of rider/user. Those with amputations will need to move on wheelchairs which take up a lot of space EVERYWHERE they go and most amputations in elderly /middle age are due to diabetes which is a disease caused by sedentary lifestyle.
  
  U blame weather, nothing else to blame ah? Singapore has no typhoons/ blizzards, weather not always wet like london n showers pass quickly. No sub zero temperatures nor heat stroke causing summers, nor frozen paths causing slippery surface, and just like SAF NSmen outfield training, is seldom posponed except for few minuted due to midday sun/ lighting warning; u r a sissy, u still dreaming of LKY air-con nation story? That guy was already too comfortable in his IVORY tower (after jailing all dissent) when he said that ... Singapore is so short of $$$ that gahmen now needs to raise taxes... I think better to continue to exercise in the spirit of NS, than to face a traffic jam EVERYWHERE of wheelchair users and make life intolerable for everyone else .

• Machjo

  12 Jan 18, 07:55

  More cycling paths can significantly improve efficiency. Bycicles do not need petrol and take minimal space. They are quiet too.

• wsy1234

  12 Jan 18, 10:18

  more bicycle riders will get killed on the roads if bicycles can cycle on bus lanes

• Machjo

  12 Jan 18, 11:13

  True. They would need to be kept separate.

• Louisa

  27 Mar 18, 23:33

  This industry requires more regulation.