Sunday cycling lane in Seletar made permanent after trial success

SINGAPORE: Cyclists in Singapore will continue to have a dedicated lane while riding on a road in the north-east Seletar area, though on Sunday mornings only. 

The Sunday Cycling Lane along West Camp Road will be made permanent after a successful trial since October last year, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Saturday (Apr 15).

The 4.6km-long lane is marked by blue lines and can only be used by buses and cyclists on Sundays from 5am to 11am.

The only other on-road cycling lane is along Tanah Merah Coast Road.

LTA is now studying other locations to potentially implement the scheme, where dedicated road space is given to large groups of cyclists in areas with low vehicular traffic.

The authority said it observed that during the six-month trial along West Camp Road, "nearly all" users stuck to their allocated lanes during operating hours, and traffic conditions and bus operations continued to operate smoothly.

A survey on the ground also found support for the scheme and how it provides "better allocation of space between cyclists and motorists", said LTA.

Several cyclists CNA spoke to at the start of the trial last year had also welcomed the move, describing the area as a popular spot.

In a news release on Saturday, LTA noted that just as it was during the trial, cyclists using the Sunday lane during operating hours will not be subject to group size limits.

These refer to rules that kicked in on Jan 1, 2022, capping cycling groups on roads at five riders in single file.

The cycling lane at West Camp Road is demarcated by solid blue markings, except near junctions and access points to buildings - where the lane is demarcated by dotted blue markings and red transverse markings instead, said LTA.

Motorists are allowed to use these areas to turn in and out of West Camp Road during the cycling lane hours.

Motorists are reminded to filter onto these stretches carefully as cyclists and buses may be using the lane, said LTA.