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SINGAPORE: The government pedals forward with plans to get more people on two wheels.
By 2014, Changi-Simei and Bedok will have dedicated cycling lanes.
This will bring to seven the number of estates where the government aims to promote intra-town biking to transport nodes like MRT stations.
The other towns, announced in February 2009, are Yishun, Tampines, Sembawang, Taman Jurong and Pasir Ris. The tracks in these towns will be completed by 2012.
In total, S$43 million will be spent for such dedicated cycling paths in the seven towns.
Besides the heartlands, the Marina Bay area will also see more biking action.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been working closely with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board to implement a network of cycling paths in the area. S$26 million has been set aside for the project.
Work on these bicycle paths will begin this year and by 2014, cyclists can look forward to 16 kilometres of dedicated bicycle lanes in the Marina Bay area.
Meantime, construction of dedicated cycling paths in Tampines and Yishun has started. The first 1.2-kilometre stretch in Tampines will open for use this Sunday.
Dedicated bicycle lanes are hugely popular in European cities like Salzburg, Berlin and especially Amsterdam, where the bikes outnumber people by almost half. That's how much they love their two wheels.
So the big question is: Can a similar cycling culture catch on in Singapore?
"I suppose so, because like now, cars are giving off too much greenhouse gas emissions," said a member of the public.
"It's not just a form of transport but it also builds up your physical fitness. So I would go for cycling," said another.
"No, because people might get in the way when I cycle and it's quite troublesome," said a third.
Initiatives like safety talks and cycling clinics will be used to tell the public about responsible cycling.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Teo Ser Luck said: "We want to make sure that they are educated in terms of some of the behaviours when they're cycling and making sure they recognise the different signs."
In addition, more resources will also be put into developing bicycle parking facilities at key transport hubs.
- CNA/al/ir
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