The Singapore police continued their crackdown on cyclists riding illegally on the expressways, as this year 44 cyclists have been caught violating the rules in the first four months, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
While cyclists are allowed on roads, it is illegal for them to ride on expressways and in road tunnels. The LTA said that 50 cyclists were caught on expressways during the whole of last year.
The figures include cyclists riding conventional pedal bicycles and power-assisted bicycles (PABs).
The LTA further said that despite encouraging people to take up cycling for daily commuting and exercise, there are others who are not adhering to the current rules and regulations, also some unfamiliar with the road network.
"There is also a minority who, out of convenience, knowingly break regulations by riding on expressways, " it said. Those who flout the rules are fined up to SGD 2,000 or jailed for up to six months.
According to a police official, there were one fatality and one injury involving cyclists on PABs, and two injuries involving cyclists on pedal bicycles last year.
In 2019, there were no fatalities and three injuries involving cyclists on pedal bicycles. There were no fatalities or injuries involving cyclists on PABs in 2019.
The road traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices (PMDs) had dropped to a great extent. There were zero fatalities and 50 injuries last year, compared with two fatalities and 198 injuries in 2019.
Singapore Cycling Federation vice-president for safety and education Steven Lim said many sports facilities were ordered to close or faced curbs amid the COVID pandemic, so cycling and running became good options for many.